A Sky Revealed by the Night
by Sky of Drowning Dreams
Summary: At eight years old, Tsuna had been unaware of the yōkai world, like any other human. But when an emergency arrives, he must flee to his family's home and learn the ways of the yōkai. :complete:
1. Chapter 1

When Nana first woke up on a Friday morning, it hadn't really felt much different from all the other Fridays that had happened for many years. But when she opened her eyes and stared at the ceilings for a moment, concentrating, she could sense anything different. It was quiet in the house, like it usually was at this time of day, so that wasn't anything new. She sat up, looking around the room. There wasn't anything out of place, everything exactly where it had been the night before. She frowned. "Was I just imagining it?" said Nana, before she got out of bed, stretching as she did so. "Oh well, that's fine. I should start getting ready, anyways." She went to draw the curtains of her windows back, wanting nothing more than to greet the day with a sunny smile, but stopped as she did so.

On the other side of the curtain, her room the only one with a window facing the rising sun, was something that unnerved her more than it should.

Instead of the soft hues of rosy pink and husky orange she usually saw, the sky had a blanket of low hanging clouds that looked like it would snow despite it being only September. Maybe it was because it was so light; the bloody crimson light looked so much like a stain in the sky. It carried a foreboding feeling that immediately erased the beginning of a smile on Nana's face. "How strange…" she mumbled, regarding the scenery in front of her carefully. She didn't have the infamous bloodline ability of her husband's, but she had lived long enough to be able to tell when significant things were going to happen. A sort of sixth sense that had developed. "Ah! I wonder if Iemitsu is coming home today! He must want to surprise us." Nana said, blushing as she held her face in her hands. "Such a romantic."

"Mama…?"

Nana turned to the bedroom door in surprise. "Tsu-kun?" She said and then looked at the clock sitting by her bed. "It's only seven right now, what're you doing up so early?"

The small child shuffled around a bit, his eyes sleepy but he seemed determined to stay awake. He had this look on his face that showed he wanted to crawl into Nana's arms, but he was embarrassed to do so when he was already eight years old. He still remembered clearly what his classmates had said about 'crybabies running to their mommies.' "I… I had a nightmare." He said hesitantly. He kept his eyes on the floor in front of him.

Nana looked surprised for a moment then chuckled. She patted a spot on the covers next to her. "Come here, Tsu-kun. Mama had some nightmares too." She said.

"R-Really?" Tsuna said, a hopeful look on his face. He puffed out his chest and cheeks importantly. "Then… I'll protect you until Papa comes home!"

"Yep, that's a job left to men." Nana giggled. "Now come over here."

Tsuna shuffled over to the bed, and crawled underneath the blankets until he came out on the other side next to Nana. He snuggled against her side, a blissful smile on his face.

Nana looked at him in surprise, but smiled. It wasn't too often anymore she got to cuddle up with her son like this. To her, her only son had grown up so fast in the past few years, growing from a red faced infant into a grown child. He was a perfectly healthy boy, and there was nothing wrong with him to her. Except for the fact that he never had friends. Nana herself never knew the cause of it, but Tsuna would regularly come home with messed up clothing or sometimes with his homework in pieces. She had wondered what was the cause, since she knew her boy was a delightful child, and wouldn't be a bad person to anyone else. That went against his teachings.

Pursing her lips in thought, Nana ran her fingers through Tsuna's hair as he fell asleep, looking outside of her window. It was still quite early in the morning, so the sun was just starting to rise up into the sky. However, instead of a beautiful golden glow adored and admired by many, the low hanging clouds were stained a horrid colour not unlike that of blood. Nana kept staring at it with an intense gaze in her eyes and unconsciously fisted her hand in Tsuna's hair.

"Ow! What was that for, Mama?" Tsuna whined, his hands rubbing his hair. There were little pools of tears starting to form in his eyes as he pouted at Nana.

"Ara! I'm so sorry, Tsu-kun!" Nana cried, smothering her son with kisses. "I was trying to see how much food we have. What would you like for breakfast?"

Tsuna looked confused for a moment, and blinked his large brown eyes. "O-Omurice…?" He said. The poor boy looked confused.

With a cheery smile that Nana had everyday, she got up and swiftly changed clothing before going downstairs. "Alright, I'll get it ready for you! You can sleep in a little longer, but make sure you come down, alright?" She said.

Tsuna was left blinking at Nana's exit, not quite sure what had happened. He tilted his head a little to the side, his messy hair following the movement. "Why did… Mama look like she was in pain…?" He said to himself.

* * *

><p>Nana hummed as she broke the eggs into a pan, savouring the delicious sizzling sound it made. She smiled, shifting the pan a little bit before flipping the egg like a pancake, neatly catching it back in the pan. <em>I can't wait for Iemitsu to come home<em>, Nana thought. _I wonder what should I cook? Oh, I should cook his favourite! I'm sure he hasn't had it while since he's in… Hm. Where was it he went again? Mou, that silly man is always telling me he's gone to the stars. _She plated the omurice and placed it on the table, along with a bottle of ketchup. "Tsu-kun! Breakfast is ready!" She called up the stairs.

"C-Coming, Mama!" The faint reply came.

Knowing her son, Nana pulled out a first-aid kit from under the sink and waited for the inevitable. And as always, the sound of Tsuna tripping over his feet was heard as he yelped, grunting as he hit a step as he continued his way tumbling down the stairs. He finally landed in a heap at the bottom, groaning in pain all the while.

"I told you we could set up a room for you downstairs." Nana said, appearing out of the kitchen with a sigh. "Then you wouldn't get wounded like this all the time."

"Owch, I-I'm fine, Mama. It's no big deal." Tsuna said, carefully untangling himself. He yelped as he rubbed a particularly nasty bruise on the floor. "I-It's not… It's not… that bad…"

Nana frowned as she looked over her son. There were multiple bruises on his arms and legs, along with a fist sized one forming on his right cheek. Several were already starting to turn purple. "This won't do…" She said, shaking her head and opening the first-aid kit. "You're not going to school today."

"R-Really!?" Tsuna said excitedly, then seemed to remember himself. "I-I mean, really? I-I really wanted to go…"

Seeing through the obvious lie, Nana ruffled Tsuna's hair, careful to avoid any bumps that might be hiding in there. "You're not getting off that easy, Tsu-kun. I want you to be studying after you finish breakfast, all right?" She said sternly. "I want you to improve your grades!"

"What!? But I don't want to! It's not like anyone believes I can do anything, anyways…"

"You need to go to school though, it's important for your future!"

"But-!"

"No buts, Tsu-kun. Now go eat your breakfast!"

Grumbling his complaints, Tsuna grudgingly went to the table. He picked up his fork and cut off a chunk and stuffed it in his mouth, trying to distract himself. But once he tasted the wonderful blends that went into the omurice, Tsuna's eyes lit up an he started to eat more vigorously. Nana chuckled and pushed a glass of milk closer to him. "Don't forget to swallow. And drink some milk, it's good for you." She said. He nodded his thanks and continued eating, his attention entirely absorbed in his food now. Nana smiled and turned back to the stove to prepare more food.

She was so absorbed in her good mood, she almost didn't notice that the phone was ringing.

"Mama?" Tsuna said, trying to get her attention. He looked at the ringing phone in the hallway and then back to Nana. He was tempted to answer the phone himself, but something told him that wasn't a very good idea. So, that just left his mother to answer the phone. "Mama!"

Except for the fact that Nana appeared to be caught up in a daydream that she didn't seem to be hearing anything.

"MAMA!"

"W-What?!" Nana yelled, whirling around with a spatula in hand.

Tsuna pointed into the hallway where the phone was still ringing. "The phone." He said simply.

"H-Huh? Oh, right." Nana said, trying to calm herself down. Who could that be on the phone? There weren't that many people who viewed the Sawadas as friends as far as she knew, and it was far too early in the morning for a house call anyways. Shaking her head of such thoughts, she quickly shuffled to the hallway and took a deep breath before picking up the phone. "Hello, Sawada residence."

There was a pause on the other side of the line, making Nana initially think that it was a prank call. It wasn't the first time, after all. She thought she could hear the distant sound of something like shots being fired, but brushed it off as static. It was probably the phone getting too old. When almost a full minute had passed and still no answer, Nana started getting annoyed. "Excuse me, but if you have business with me then please speak up! It's early in the morning, and I have things to do!" She said impatiently.

When there was still no reply, she took the receiver away from her ear to hang up when she thought she heard a faint crackle of her name. Surprised, Nana pressed the phone to her ear again. "Hello…? She said uncertainly.

"_N…Nana…? Is that… you?_" A breathless voice grunted into her ear, and there were some loud noises in the background, making Nana wonder just what was going on. But there was no mistaking that voice, there was only one man in the world with that voice that it had to be her darling husband.

"Iemitsu?" Nana said, concerned for her husband. She knew Iemitsu's voice better than anyone in the world, but she had never heard him sound like that. And there was also the matter of how he had called her. He never left such a long pause when calling her, and he always used his pet name for her with the tone reserved for only his darling Nana. "Why do you sound so tired? You should be resting."

"_Nana, I don't have time._" Iemitsu said sharply into the phone. "_I need to tell you something._"

Now, Nana was very worried. Iemitsu never acted like this with her, and there was no affection in his tone right now either. Right after she answered the phone, he'd usually starting babbling about how much he missed her, and how everyone's cooking was no where near the league of Nana's, and asking how their dear little son was doing at home. Just what was going on over there? Did it have something to do with his work? "Iemitsu, what's going on?" She asked with a sense of urgency.

"_You need to get out of Nanimori. Now. Far from it. Can you do that for me?_"

"Well, yes of course, but why—"

"_Don't question me, just do it_.

"Iemitsu, it's all so sudden—"

"_Nana. Please._"

Nana stopped at those words. The words full of such pleading and asking of pure trust. It hurt Nana's heart to be hearing it from someone she loved so much, even if she didn't know what was going on. She nodded and said, "Alright."

Ieimtsu let out an obvious sigh of relief. "_Good. Get Tsuna and leave before they find you_. _Make sure you have the cell phone too. I promise I'll call you soon._"

"Wait, what do you mean—" She didn't manage to get through as the distinct click of the other line hanging up followed by the dial tone as the only thing she could hear now. She hesitantly hung up and walked back to the kitchen slowly, trying to make sense of what had just happened. _It must have something to do with the Vongola… but what happened?_ She thought, biting her lip. _Iemitsu… please be all right…_

"Mama?" Tsuna asked, watching Nana from the doorway to the kitchen. He had been eating breakfast, expecting the call to be from his father. It had been a while since the last one, and it made him happy to hear Nana's elated voice. But when she instead sounded confused and worried, it made him stop and pause. So he got out of his chair into the hallway, curious. "Who was that?"

"What? Oh! That was your father." Nana said, forcing a smile on her face. "We're going on a little trip, so go and pack up your things now, ok?"

Tsuna gave her a sceptical look, but nodded and jumped out of his chair to do as he was told. He gave his mother another look before going up the stairs to pack up his things. _There's something going on …_ Tsuna thought, _But what does Papa have to do with it?_

As soon as Tsuna was out of sight, Nana let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding and collapsed in a nearby chair. She held her head in her hands, wondering what to do. Iemitsu had told her to get out of Nanimori, but where? Obviously she couldn't flee to a town nearby, and the mafia was likely to be watching within a large radius for anyone matching their description.

During the time that Iemitsu had been the leader of the CEDEF, Nana knew that he had done everything within his power and requested numerous favors of the Vongola Nono to keep his mafia life and family life as far apart as possible. He had permitted a few of his subordinates whom he trusted the knowledge of his precious family for the case of should something ever happen to him; they were to take care of his wife and son.

However, he had not considered the possibility of Nana already know about the Vongola Famiglia, and his involvement with them. In fact, he would have been shocked enough to know that Nana was well aware that Iemitsu's real job definitely did _not_ involve working in the oil fields as he had told her.

_No, I don't need to be thinking of those things right now!_ Nana scolded herself. _I need to think of Tsuna's safety! I'll find out what's going on as soon as I get him somewhere that's safe. But where… The only place I can think of… would be… _that_ place…_

Nodding to herself, Nana quickly went up to her bedroom. She paused in front of Tsuna's door, slightly ajar. She took a peek inside to see how he was doing, and softly chuckled to herself when he tripped on a stack of books near the door and caused a chain reaction of avalanches around the room, and the floor was now covered in books, papers, toys and clothes. It was impossible to step anywhere without stepping in something unpleasant. The boy himself was shrieking as every step made him slip backwards, landing on a toy inconveniently placed where his bottom would land, then shrieking pushing his way forward into another mess. It was just an endless cycle.

Walking into her own room, she immediately went toward her dresser, pulling open the top drawer. She dug around there for a bit before pulling out a small, plain black, rectangular box. She opened it, tossing the lid onto the ground and pulling out a phone her husband had given her. She treasured it dearly, decorating it with pink heart stickers with Iemitsu written in flowing script.

Tracing the name with her fingertip, a sudden wave of worry swept over Nana. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew something big had happened, and it had involved Iemitsu, and could possibly involve Tsuna in the future. She hoped that they would all be safe, and they would soon be able to come back to their peaceful life in Namimori. Clenching the phone tightly in her hand, she got up and went to the closet, digging deep into its depths and pulled out a simple long black tube. She twisted open one end of the tub and tilted it, letting the contents drop onto the floor.

Inside the tube was another cell phone, along with a pair of blades, a katana and tantō. The phone was surprisingly modern, and appeared to be of a much more expensive model than the one Iemitsu had given her.

Unlike the phone Iemitsu gave her, this one was left relatively untouched. As the phone was replaced at regular intervals, there was no reason to decorate it. The only thing she had added to the phone was a simple keychain with an emblem that had the word 'fear' written in kanji. She turned it on, fiddling with it a little to make sure it worked properly. Once she was sure there were no problems with it, she turned to the two blades.

They had been a wedding gift from an old family friend, a person who had dabbled in sword making as a hobby at one point. He'd been amused when he had heard of Nana's wedding to Iemitsu, knowing full well, as did others who knew her well, that there was no changing a mind like hers. As a token of good faith, he'd fashioned the weapons for her should the need ever arise. He'd told the newlyweds that the weapons were purely for decorative purposes, but a well-practiced eye and any who knew the man were are the swords were anything but.

Despite the years that had come and gone, the blades, or their scabbards at least, still appeared to be as new as the day they were forged. Nana smiled. "I suppose the old coot did something to make it seem that way."

Her hands went over the smooth black, lacquered scabbard or the tantō. There was a pattern of cherry blossoms in bloom along its length, and looked so real that Nana almost felt disappointed when she didn't feel petals under her fingers. She gripped the hilt of the dagger, drawing the blade to inspect the edge. A dull sword could mean the end of their lives.

The blade itself was just as beautiful as it had been, perfectly polished. It was a little longer and more slender than regular tantō, and seemed like a perfect weapon for a boy of Tsuna's age and size. The balance was didn't seem to be changed, and a few practice swings ensured that, despite the years, Nana hadn't forgotten how to use the blades.

Placing the tantō back into its scabbard, she turned to the katana. Unlike the more feminine looking tantō, the katana's scabbard was a blend of different colors and images. The background was a gradient from peach to rosy red. There patches of black scattered around, with a golden pattern on top. There were different places where there were flowers, toys and wooden mallets in bright colors placed in various places as well.

Like the tantō, the katana's hilt was also soft, though it was significantly longer than the tantō's. It was short enough it was easy to swing with one hand, but at the same time, long enough to be able to hold with two should the situation call for it. She drew the blade, marveling at the way it slid out so smoothly, like water. The tantō itself was an impressive piece of work, but the katana was the weapon that deserved many praises.

The blade shimmered in the low light of the room, dancing and making blade look like it was alive. She smiled at the way the part of the blade closer to the scabbard was thinner, and then the end of the blade was thicker. _I wonder if he was looking into Chinese history when he made this._ She thought, comparing the way its appearance looked similar to the Chinese Dao blade. She figured that he was trying to come up with new blade styles, and just blended them together. It didn't matter; the blade was still well balanced, and the edge was still sharp. It would protect them properly from whatever enemy came their way.

Nana searched through her closet once more, pulling out a medium sized black duffel bag. When she was sure that there were no holes made during its lack of use, she placed the two blades inside a secret compartment and zipped it up. She didn't need Tsuna searching her back and accidentally finding them. She paused, looking around the room. "Is there anything else I might need…? " She murmured, a slight frown on her face. Her expression brightened, and she walked to her nightstand. "Ah yes, that!"

She opened the drawer, pulling out some things like magazines she read late at night. Her fingers brushed past a tidy stash of emergency cash, passports, and a list of people Iemitsu made that he has assured Nana could trust. She considered taking it with her, just in case Iemitsu came back and found that she hadn't brought it with her, but really didn't think she'd need it. It wasn't like she was going out of the country, anyways. But if someone as going to come after them, then wouldn't it be safer to take it along and fool their pursuers that they had fled Japan?

Nana frowned and closed the drawer softly. No, that wouldn't be the best plan. She didn't care about what the other mafia would do, but Iemitsu would be curious as to the reason why she had bothered to take all the emergency items with her, but not even bother to leave Japan. She was sure that she could dissuade Iemitsu, but he'll attempt to investigate once he returned to work, and that wouldn't bode well.

She checked the contents of the bag over, the picked it up, leaving the room. It would be best to take care of Tsuna as soon as possible. Iemitsu had told them to leave, and while she knew she could handle whatever threat came their way easily as long as it was human, she wasn't going to take the chance with her son. He was much too clumsy for his own good, something she hoped he could possibly grow out of once he got older. There was this kind of air about him that screamed 'easy hostage', and she'd rather die than have Tsuna get hurt.

"Tsu-kun?" She said, knocking on the door. "Are you done yet?" There was no reply on the other side, though she thought she heard some ruffling. She opened the door slightly, thinking maybe he hadn't heard her. "Tsu-kun?"

On the other side of the door was a massive amount of clothes, papers and toys cluttering the floor. It was at least a foot high, and was already starting to spill out through the open crack of the door. "Just what did that boy do while I was gone…? It hasn't been that long." Nana said, a hand on her cheek as she sighed. She wasn't even sure how he had accumulated so much stuff. Was her son a budding hoarder already? She noticed a pile of papers shaking next to the bed, and she smiled. She reached over, and gently pushed it aside. "Tsu-kun, we have to leave."

Tsuna was sprawled on his back, his face slightly pink and breathless. "Sorry, Mama." He said, sitting up. He shook his head, fluffing his hair up again. "I tripped."

"You tripped?" said Nana, staring at him incredulously. How does tripping make such a mess? She sighed then shook her head. That wasn't the important now; she'll just have to clean it up when they got back home. "Have you finished packing yet? We have to leave."

"Yeah!" Tsuna said, brightening. He pointed at a backpack sitting on the bed. "See?"

Nana looked at the bag, curious. Tsuna was still a child, so she had thought he would have wanted to bring a lot of things, but the bag seemed perfectly normal. It wasn't bulging to the point of exploding if touched, but then it didn't look too empty either. "What did you put in there?" She asked.

"Um, um, I put in some food, 'cause what if we got hungry? And Usa-chan, 'cause I can't sleep without it! And, um—" Tsuna was stopped as Nana placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair gently. She smiled at him fondly. "We don't need all of that, you can just bring your pyjamas and Usa-chan with you."

Tsuna looked disappointed. "That's it? But aren't we going on a trip?"

Nana nodded. "We are, but we're not going that far. We're going to see… some relatives."

"Are we going to see Grandpa?" Tsuna asked, his eyes sparkling at the thought of seeing Timoteo again.

Smiling, Nana squatted down to Tsuna's level. "That's a surprise." She said, a finger on her lips. "You'll have to see when we get there, ne?"

Tsuna tilted his head to the side a little, looking at Nana's expression carefully that didn't quite seem to fit an eight year old. He put a hand on his mother's cheek, surprising her. "Are you OK, Mama?"

Nana took the hand from her cheek and placed it between her own. "What do you mean, Tsu-kun? Mama's happy like always!" She said with a bright smile to prove her point.

But it didn't seem to convince Tsuna, who frowned. "But… you looked upset when you talked on the phone with Papa." He said. "And you still look sad."

Now Nana was surprised. When had she grown so easy to read, that a child could see her thoughts on her face like an open book? "It's nothing for you to worry about," she said. She said, getting up. "Why don't you go to the washroom before we go? Wouldn't want to have an accident, would we."

Tsuna nodded, though was reluctant to pull his hand away from his mother's. He looked down at their hands, before grabbing Nana's hand. "If I can help Mama, then let me know! I'll protect Mama!" He said with a fierce expression before pulling away and going into the bathroom. Nana could see Tsuna's cheeks dusted with pink before the door closed.

She sat there, surprised, for a moment before holding her hand to her heart with a soft expression on her face. Pulling out the phone, she dialled a number she had memorized and kept in her heart since long ago.

The phone rang a few times before there was a crackle as someone answered the line. "_Hello?_" croaked the voice on the other line.

"Karasu," said Nana, her expression determined. "I need to talk to Uncle."

* * *

><p><span>A  N

19/11/2013: Did a little editing so its quite a bit longer, and hopefully better.


	2. Chapter 2

Tsuna shifted comfortably, giving a small smile on his slightly chubby face, still clinging to some baby fat he still had. He was feeling comfortable, even if he wasn't in his bed right now and—

He wasn't in his bed right now?

Immediately becoming alarmed, the little boy fought the urge to immediately cry, and decided to slowly open his eyes to see if his mother was there with him. He stopped as he became aware of two voices coming from nearby.

"…ays been a handful. Even as a child." Came a gruff voice, distinctly male, somewhere not too far from him.

Nana's voice came next, coming from somewhere to his left and much closer than where the other voice was. "Come on, Uncle, I wasn't that bad when I was a little girl."

The other voice grumbled in return, "Not so bad? Combined with Rihan, you two were even worse than I was!"

Upon hearing Nana's voice, Tsuna relaxed, and the tension left his small body that he didn't know was there. He wasn't comfortable with the thought of being in an unknown household, but he would be fine if Nana was there with him. After a few minutes of listening to the mysterious person and his mother converse about what apparently seemed like Nana's childhood, Tsuna decided that maybe it was time to get up and see where he was. Remaining in a laying position facing the ceiling, Tsuna opened his eyes slowly…

And was met with multiple pairs of red eyes coming out of holes in the ceiling staring right back at the frightened child.

Both sides just stared at each other for a while, not saying a word which neither of the adults talking noticed.

Finally, a small whimper broke out of the young child, and small tears started to form in the corner of his eyes as he prepared to bawl. Before he could, Nana, who had heard the small sound, had turned around and began to comfort her son. "There, there, Tsuna. They aren't going to hurt you; they aren't as bad as they look." She said. She knew that very well, she had played many pranks on them with her cousin, Rihan, when they were both young and growing up in Edo many years ago.

"Really, Nana. See what happens when you don't expose children to yōkai at a young age?" The man said from across Nana.

Nana turned back around to her uncle, her hand still rubbing Tsuna's back soothingly though her face appeared slightly annoyed. "I never had much of the opportunity before to. Besides, he's met with my parents, and they're yōkai."

Sobs quieting down, Tsuna sniffed as he rubbed the corner of his eyes with his fist. Child curiosity peaked as he heard the other man; Tsuna peeked from behind his mother in order to get a good look at him. Despite being horribly frightened that he might be another monster like the ones he saw in the ceiling, something told him that this person wasn't quite like that.

And it seemed that the feeling was right; all he saw was a short old man with an elongated head, smoking a pipe that appeared to be rather old. Tsuna also noticed that unlike the modern type clothing he wore, the old man was wearing a funny sort of clothing that he usually saw women wear when he went to a festival at home, a kimono his mother had called it when he asked her.

He tugged on his mother's sleeve, which he noticed was a kimono as well. "Mama," Tsuna whispered, though it was loud enough to be heard throughout the silent room, "W-Why is that uncle w-wearing girl c-clothes?"

The various yōkai that were secretly watching the interaction between the Supreme Commander, Nana, and Tsuna snorted in laughter. Some burst out laughing, and had to be chased off by their comrades as they laughed off their mirth at the mental image of Nurarihyon wearing _women_ clothing. Many managed to suppress their amusement and mentally stored away the conversation for later to poke fun at their commander when the visitors were gone and share with the others in the main house over sake.

Well aware of his followers listening to their conversation, Nurarihyon groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew what was coming when Nana and her son were gone, and they probably wouldn't stop for a good while. After all, with Rihan gone, there wasn't much to do in the clan anymore and the 'fear' that they had when he was alive was quickly dwindling. They would probably hold this 'women clothing' thing for a good while or until something else came along. Well, not like he had much of an image to take care of now that he was an old man. But that still didn't change the fact he was their Supreme Commander, damn it!

Nana was having a hard time holding herself in, attempting to hide her snickers behind her kimono sleeve while Tsuna just looked at her with an adorable innocence that only could be pulled off by the angelic faces of children. Sneaking a look at Nurarihyon, she finally gave up and started to laugh as she saw his indignant expression at being laughed at by _everyone_. If that telltale tick in his brow was anything to go by, she knew she was going to be in for it for not teaching Tsuna about Japanese culture, never mind yōkai.

Since the adults seemed to be laughing for no apparent reason (or sulking in Nurarihyon's case) and didn't seem on telling Tsuna the reason any time soon, the young boy decided to look around the room he was in, curious about a home so entirely different from his own. At school, no one seemed to want to be his friend; calling him, 'Useless Tsuna' and such and Tsuna didn't have any relatives that lived close by. Added to the fact that his father was away working in oil fields all the time, Tsuna basically grew up with only his mother by his side.

Looking around in amazement, Tsuna absorbed the sight of the traditional style home, so different from his modernized home. The floor he was currently sitting on was made up of tatami mats, though was sturdy enough to hold both Tsuna's and Nana's weight, felt soft to the touch and held a faint scent of sake (how mysterious). The fusuma walls that surrounded the room were made up of wood, but were plain and only held the soft color of a greenish cream color. The rice paper covered shōji doors leading to outside where the weeping sakura tree stood were open slightly, allowing several of the soft pink petals to drift into the room slowly. In a tokonoma behind Nana, a freshly made ikebana was displayed, simple, yet beautiful as it showed the soft new buds of early spring. A wide kakejiku hung above it, depicting what appeared to be a parade of monsters, varying in looks, size and shape. Near the front of the line, a lone figure stood out among the rest, more human in appearance than the rest. With a two-tone colored hair; whitish-gold on the top, black on the bottom, and a black kimono with a red cloak with a wolf draped around his shoulders as a scarf, the man made an impressive sight and if Tsuna didn't know any better, he thought that the man was the leader of the monsters.

"T-Tsuna," Nana said, a little winded as she finally managed to rein in her laughter, "Uncle is not wearing 'girl' clothing, the style he is wearing is meant to be worn males."

The small brows on the young brunette's face furrowed as he took a long look at both Nana and Nurarihyon. "B-But… T-They both l-look the s-same…" Tsuna said, biting his bottom lip.

Before Nana could say anything further, the sound of yelling could be heard outside, two distinct males, one of which was vaguely familiar, and a female. This was followed by excited shouting and laughter of several yōkai that Nana knew since childhood, and a young boy that Nana didn't know of.

The trio looked up at the sound of footsteps pounding on the floorboards, coming closer to the reception room. "Grandpa, I heard that new yōkai came!" Came the voice of a young boy as he opened the shōji doors with a bang. Standing there was child of Tsuna's age, with spiky brown hair on the top and a darker brown on the brown in what could only be described as a 'reverse-pudding.'

Nurarihyon broke out in a grin. He waved him in, saying, "Ah, Rikuo. Come here, I want you to meet your cousin, Tsunayoshi, and your aunt, Nana."

Excited at meeting what might be new yōkai, Rikuo looked around the room to look for his relatives, but only saw who he assumed to be Nana, who smiled kindly at him. "Hello, Aunty Nana!" He said, giving her a bright smile in return.

"My, what a polite child, friendly as well. So very different from your grandfather." Nana said, giving a pointed look at said yōkai, who merely grumbled, "You won't be saying that at the end of the day." This went by ignored or unheard by the three others present in the room.

Nana reached behind her to push Tsuna, who had retreated behind Nana the minute footsteps were heard in the hall, in front of Rikuo, and kept a firm hold on his shoulders as the boy quivered at the stares he received from Nurarihyon and Rikuo. "This is my son, Tsunayoshi. I hope you two will get along." She said.

The said child squeaked when he was pulled out, and squirmed under Nana's firm grip. Once he had freed himself, he attempted to hide behind her yet again. However, Rikuo had seen him and had ran behind Nana's back as well, smiling brightly at the other child as he scrambled to hide, not knowing that Rikuo was already there.

"What kind of yōkai are you?" Rikuo immediately asked, giving Tsuna wide smile and his eyes wide and expectant of an amazing yōkai like his grandfather. "Did you come here by riding in Oboro-Guruma?"

Squeaking, Tsuna stopped short and stared at Rikuo for a few moments before the words registered in his young mind. "Y-Yōkai?" He said timidly, "W-What's an O-Oboro-G-Guruma?"

Rikuo's expression became confused, and asked the timid boy, "You don't know what Oboro-Guruma is? Then how did you get here?"

At the question, Tsuna stopped and thought. How _had_ he come here? The last thing he had remembered was coming out of the bathroom and his mother had taken his hand and led him out of the house. She had looked around the empty street, and said something about how glad she had been no one was out at the moment. Tsuna had looked at his mother in confusion, before seeing a distant dot in the sky that was growing larger, and Tsuna swore he saw flames around it. He had tugged on his mother's hand, whimpering, and had pointed at the dot when she turned her attention to him. Instead of taking Tsuna back into the house, Nana had smiled and waved at the object instead. As it grew closer, so did Tsuna's whimpering until standing before them was a large ox-cart with an enormous face on one side.

After being ushered inside the strange thing, Tsuna's breath was taken away as the cart whisked them away from the only home he had ever known, and was flying off into the distance leaving nothing but a powerful gust of wind in its wake. Before he knew it, his mother was coaxing him out of the cart and he was standing before a large mansion that was very different from any other building he had seen. Despite his legs feeling like jelly, he ran after Nana, who was walking through the entrance into the household. On either sides of the pathway, was a long line of strange monsters bowing deeply in respect, and had called out, "Welcome, Nana-sama, Tsunayoshi-sama!"

That was when Tsuna's little body had decided that he had taken too much surprise and shock in one day and had promptly made him pass out before everyone present. He managed a sharp, "HIIIEEE" before the darkness closed in on him, his last sight being his mother turning and looking frantic as she tried to catch him. After that, he had woken up in the room with his mother and the strange man talking.

After reviewing his memories, Tsuna understood a little better of what happened, but he felt as though there was a large portion of his memories missing… As though someone had taken a hold of his subconscious and erased a vital part. Tsuna stared at Rikuo with his mouth slightly open as if he was going to answer him, but his mind was trying to grasp what it had lost and all he did was stare at Rikuo, who returned it with a blank expression.

Knowing that Tsuna most likely wouldn't know how to reply, Nana came to Tsuna's rescue. "Rikuo-kun," Nana said gently, "Tsuna doesn't know much about yōkai yet, he has just became aware of them today."

The excited expression turned into one of disappointment. "Eh? Why not?" Rikuo whined, his adorable face turning into a pout.

Nana smiled and ruffled the young boy's hair. Suddenly, she came up with an idea. "Ah, since Tsuna doesn't know of any yōkai, why don't you take him around and introduce him to some of the ones here?" Nana suggested.

"Ah," Nurarihyon suddenly said, a look of remembrance on his face, "Karasu told me to Zen is coming today, why don't you go introduce him to Tsuna?"

At the mention of his friend and playmate, Rikuo began to smile brightly again. "Un! I will!" And so saying, grabbed the shy brunette's hand before dashing through the fusuma doors, which the yōkai on the other side quickly opened lest another door be broken. They were already waiting for three doors to be repaired after the drinking party the other night.

After a dashing through the corridor full of yōkai which had hurried to scramble out of the way of the two children, Tsuna was panting as though he had run a mile. "R…Rikuo…-kun…" He huffed, beginning to droop even as they continued to dash through the mansion. When Rikuo didn't give any indication he had heard, Tsuna called louder, "Rikuo-kun!"

"Eh?" Rikuo said, a look of surprise on his face. He turned around, finally remembering that he was dragging someone along with him, and finally stopped. "Ah, sorry about that, Tsunayoshi-kun. I got caught up with wanting to meet Zen-kun."

Bending over to catch his breath, Tsuna replied breathlessly, "Don't… worry about… it…" After finally managing to calm his heart down, he straightened and looked curiously at Rikuo. "Um, w-who is Z-Zen-san a-anyways?" He stuttered, still shy at the bright and cheery boy. "I-Is he a-another yōkai?"

Rikuo nodded, "Zen-kun is a yōkai that knows a lot about plants and things! He knows about what plants not to eat, what they do, and everything!"

Remembering how other kids in school treated him, he asked Rikuo tentatively, "D-Do you r-really w-want stay w-with m-me?" He watched Rikuo carefully, ready to flee if necessary.

The young heir looked back at him in surprise, "Why wouldn't I? It's not often that I get the chance to meet other yōkai that are the same age as me."

"Young Master!" A voice called out from behind them, Tsuna recognizing it as the voice of the girl who had been screaming not too long ago. They stopped and waited for the girl to catch up, Tsuna watching her warily and Rikuo giving her a cheeky grin. "Haha, it's Yuki Onna!" Rikuo laughed.

Yuki Onna stood panting a little, and Tsuna could immediately notice a powerful aura around her, though it was subdued around Rikuo. He also noticed that though it was the start of spring, she was wearing a furisode and scarf, both looking rather ruffled, along with her hair. From the knowing smile Rikuo had, Tsuna guessed he had something to do with Yuki Onna's untidy appearance.

"Young Master, really. You're pranks are too much!" She scolded, ignoring the brunette standing next to Rikuo. "And pulling Aotabōand Kurotabō into it too!"

Rikuo merely smiled at her and giggled, "Grandpa says that yōkai shouldn't be getting scared like that!"

Flustered, Yuki Onna threw up her hands before finally noticing the brown mess of hair trying to hide behind Rikuo. "Young Master, who is that?"She asked, trying to peek around Rikuo's shoulder to take a look at the boy.

"Ah! This is Tsunayoshi, he's my cousin!" Rikuo said, stepping aside to reveal the cowering boy. Realizing his hiding spot was gone, Tsuna tried to make himself as small as possible as he avoided looking into Yuki Onna's unusual amber ringed eyes.

Looking at Tsuna curiously, she repeated uncertainly, "Cou…sin…?" She hadn't been aware of the Second having a sibling. She remembered growing up that there had been no other family of Rihan other than Nurarihyon and Yōhime, and any other of Nurarihyon's line should have taken up the mantle of Supreme Commander when Rihan had died yet no one had. With no other legitimate heir, and Rikuo being too young to become the Third himself, Nurarihyon had been forced out of retirement to hold on to the title until Rikuo could become of age.

However, the child standing next to the Young Master looked remarkably alike, as though they were brothers rather than cousins. However, their personalities seemed to be the polar opposite as Rikuo was an outgoing and bright child, someone that others wanted to stand by. Tsuna on the other hand, seemed rather shy and reclusive, and seemed to shrink away from her as soon as she appeared.

"Is that so…" Yuki Onna said, covering her mouth her sleeve, she turned her attention back to Rikuo. "Where are you taking him then, Young Master?"

Remembering why he was running around the house, Rikuo said brightly, "Grandpa said Zen-kun is coming today!"

"Eh? Zen-sama?" Yuki Onna said, confused. Her eyes slowly widened in realization. "I wasn't aware! I must go prepare then, take care, Young Master!"

Watching after Yuki Onna run off in a rush yet again, Tsuna commented, "T-That b-big sister s-seems like s-she's always i-in a h-hurry."

Rikuo laughed it off, "She's always like that, come on! Zen-kun will get mad if we're late!"

Face paling immediately, Tsuna scrambled after the laughing boy as they dashed through the mansion. The yōkai in the halls scurried out of their way, and watched the two brunettes laugh as they made their way to the entrance of the mansion. They turned to each other, clearly confused.

"Did you just see…?"

"Yeah, two little children, right?"

"As far as I remember, the Young Master doesn't invite human friends over…"

"This is a first, I wonder who it is…"

"Hmm, maybe one of his attendants might know."

"Oh, good idea! Let's ask Yuki Onna, she seems to always be by the Young Master's side."

They all hurried off in search of the said yōkai and didn't hear the yells from the other side of the mansion.

"RIKUO! I, ZEN, HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU HERE! WHY ARE YOU LATE?"

"AH! ZEN-KUN, CALM DOWN! YOU'RE GOING TO—"

"THIS ZEN WILL NOT CALM DOWN! YOU— GEBOEGHAAG"

"ZEN-SAMA!"

"KARASU, CALL A MEDIC!"

"HIIIIEEEE!"

"TSUNAYOSHI-KUN!"

* * *

><p>AN: Yosh, another chapter finally completed! Haha, as you can see, I started getting lazy near the end and just left the last bit in dialogue. Hopefully, you know who it is that's talking. In case you don't, all the characters mentioned in that last bit were the ones speaking. Again, if you don't get sometime, something doesn't seem right, or something in my writing looks like crap to you, let me know! I'll do my best to improve so it's better the next time.

I really appreciate some people actually reading this and adding this story to their fav/update list! It makes me really happy, you know? Btw, thank you very much, xXScarlatto-OokamiXx for the review! I appreciate your thoughts on my story!

As for the appearance of Rikuo's mansion… I'm going with the manga since the information in there is correct, and since there is no color that I know of, I'm just making it up as I go. So if you have any complaints about how it's different from the anime, sorry, I'm just going with this description because I'm really just too lazy to scrutinize the anime for how each room looks. The characters also will be a little different since they've encountered different people, and there are different choices to be made. Although right now they should be as they are in the manga, as you can see, I'm not the best at writing people in character…

Again, thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read this story, and reviews would be much appreciated! The next update will be on the 1st!


	3. April Fools!

Omake: April Fools

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter doesn't really have anything to do with the story, so if you want to skip this, go right on ahead. I just wrote this purely for fun xD

**EDIT: **I fixed the little mistake on Nana's thought near the end, thanks for catching that, Seithr-Kairy!

* * *

><p>A small boy was snoozing peacefully in his bed, his face containing a faint smile as he dreamed, hugging his pillow tightly in his arms as he drooled slightly. Sadly, this was not to last.<p>

The familiar sound of feet pounding on the veranda came toward Tsuna's room before there was a slam as the shōji doors were thrown open and the bright sunshine fell upon the futon lying in the middle of the room containing one Sawada Tsunayoshi. A mischievous grin spread on Rikuo's face as he crept up to the sleeping boy before pouncing him with a loud cry.

"HIIIEEE!" Tsuna shrieked as he sat up in fright, clutching his pillow tightly and his eyes wide before landing on the grinning boy lying on his lap.

"Good morning, Tsuna!" Laughed Rikuo, not noticing the annoyed pout that Tsuna was currently wearing.

Tsuna sighed, "Do you have to wake me up like that? I was having a good dream too…"

"No time for that!" Rikuo said, his usual bright smile coming back onto his face. "We have things to do today!"

Groaning, Tsuna turned to wrap himself back in his warm futon, mumbling, "Later, I want to sleep some more… Let's do it later…"

Refusing to be put off, Rikuo tugged the covers off of Tsuna, watching the boy huddle into a ball with his pillow still tight in his grip.

"Morning, Rikuo. Tsuna still not awake yet?" Zen greeted from the doorway. He had heard the commotion from down the hall and had come to investigate what the pair was doing.

Now sporting a pout, Rikuo turned to Zen, complaining, "He won't get up, how am I supposed to have my plans done if he won't wake up?"

Zen walked forward into the room saying, "Let me try something." Rikuo nodded and stepped aside to allow the other boy to squat in front of Tsuna, whose face was scrunched up in an effort to ignore the other two in his room.

Tsuna knew from experience that if you ignored Rikuo long enough, he would go away and find someone else to take part of his daily pranks on the resident yōkai. However, he had no idea what would happen when Zen was added to that since the bird yōkai was usually asleep until the afternoon. He was brought out of his thoughts as he became aware of the tickling sensation on the tip of his nose, making him sneeze. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw a very familiar feather dangling in front of his face.

"Zen… What did you do to him?" Rikuo asked as he stared at the mess that was Tsuna's futon, listening to Tsuna's loud screams as he ran down the hall to his find his mother.

Zen stared at the door that Tsuna had left, having had seen nothing but a brown blur scramble away from the feather immediately and had slammed into the door before the brunette ran through the doorway in the span of three seconds flat. He hadn't figured that the boy could run so quickly. "I was just tickling his nose with the feather he gave me a few days ago. And it's not one of mine." He said, snapping the last bit at Rikuo when he saw the expression of horror on Rikuo's face.

* * *

><p>"So, are you awake now?" Rikuo asked the tired looking Tsuna who was eating his breakfast.<p>

Tsuna shot him a glare, which was more of an annoyed pout to the yōkai around them, and returned to his food. "Don't you have school today?" He said, picking at his bowl of rice.

"Nope," Rikuo replied, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head, "And I don't have any homework today. So today is going to be the day!"

Tsuna instantly paled and the food in his mouth instantly began to taste like ash. "T-Today? You don't mean…" He started, but his words trailed off as the expression on Rikuo's face looked at him expectantly, and Tsuna just couldn't find it in himself to say no.

With a reluctant nod from Tsuna, Rikuo gave a cheer and ran off, saying he was going to get Zen to take part as well. Tsuna stayed behind; wanting to savor his last few moments of sanity before Rikuo came back and initiated his 'plan.'

"Eh? Tsuna-sama? Is something wrong with the food?" Kejōrō asked, surprised that Tsuna was still eating his breakfast. Usually, the boy ate very quickly before leaving to bid Rikuo good-bye as he left for school and then to spend some time with his mother or Zen.

Tsuna mumbled something, before excusing himself and leaving the room, with Kejōrō looking after him confused. "I wonder what he means by, 'not yet?'"

"Oi, Kejōrō! Get in the kitchen, if we don't finish making the meals, the Supreme Commander is going to be after us!"

"Ah! The meal for the clan head's meeting!" Kejōro cried, and ran back through the hallway with the tray of Tsuna's uneaten food.

* * *

><p>"Rikuooo," Tsuna whined, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"<p>

Rikuo just shot Tsuna a cheeky grin, "Yeah, don't you think it'll be a lot of fun?"

Tsuna looked unsure, but followed Rikuo through the house into the hall outside the kitchen. As they turned the corner, they saw Zen waiting outside holding a container in his hand.

Upon seeing them, Zen scowled, "It took you two long enough. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."

Tsuna cowered slightly, making Zen stop and put his face neutral again. Unfazed in the least, Rikuo grinned and asked, "Did you bring it?"

Zen resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "After you kept bugging me for hours? Of course I did." He said and held it out to Rikuo.

"All right, you guys know the plan, right?" Rikuo said, and the other two nodded. "Alright, let's do this."

Tsuna scurried over to the door, and slid it open slightly and turned to a box at his side. He looked at the box apologetically, and pushed it to the slim opening and slid the lid off. Inside, tiny red eyes glittered and without warning, the sound of uncut claws was heard as the creature scurried inside the kitchen. Putting the box away, Tsuna quickly and quietly crept away after carefully shutting the door without a sound. As soon as Tsuna made it back to Rikuo, he nearly collapsed as the adrenaline left his veins.

"Good job," Rikuo said, patting his back. "Now we just have to—"

"!"

"That's the signal, go, Zen!" Rikuo said quickly, shoving the older yōkai toward the kitchen.

Zen grumbled something, but complied and slammed the doors to the kitchen with a loud bang, and yelled, "OI, WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS IN HERE?"

"Z-Zen-sama! I-It's nothing, just added a little too much… seasoning! That's all!" They heard Kejōrō stutter out quickly, and gave a nervous laugh. Everyone could plainly hear the fear in her voice though.

"If it was just too much seasoning, you wouldn't have blasted my ears with your screeching. What's going on here?" Zen said, and the two boys outside could picture quite clearly the angry scowl that Zen would be wearing as he said that.

"Zen-sama," One of the kitchen yōkai spoke up, "It seems a rat got into the kitchen. Kejōrō hates rats, that's why she screamed."

"S-Shut up!" Kejōrō snapped, turning red.

Zen snorted incredulously. It was hard to believe at times these were the terrifying yōkai that roamed the streets that commanded the most 'fear' in the country. "A yōkai scared of rats? The Nura clan sure has fallen." He scoffed and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"What was that?" Kejōrō said, her eyes narrowing dangerously and her hair fluttered around her briefly before her eyes widened she gave another extremely girly shriek, clutching one of the nearby yōkai to her chest tightly. "G-G-GET RID OF THAT THING!" She screamed as she pointed on a tiny little mammal that was innocently nibbling on a piece of rice that had fallen onto the ground.

Really? A yōkai was scared of a mouse that wasn't even full grown yet and was capable of even biting her yet? Zen held back a sigh, he still had a role to play. "All right," He snarled, "Come here, you." And he stormed toward the baby mouse, making sure to make his footsteps heavy in order to frighten the creature to run deeper into the kitchen.

The poor mouse looked around in shock as its tiny claws grasped the floorboards as the steps fell with the force of an earthquake, and squeaked in fear as it looked up and saw a huge hulking being staring at the mouse with a frightening expression on its face. The mouse could only stare as its muscles quivered, but wouldn't let it move from its spot, and a staring match ensured between yōkai and mouse. Everyone's breath held as they watched, and no one moved. It was as if time had stopped in that room and anyone who would have entered would have thought there was a battle of epic proportions based on the atmosphere, before they would notice that every pair of eyes was on the tiny quivering form of a mouse.

So much for epic.

"Come on, Zen. Chase it into the kitchen!" Rikuo muttered, his hand holding onto the container tightly. Tsuna looked more concerned with the mouse, and was now regretting to agree with Rikuo's plan, though he knew he would end up involved one way or another.

Zen shifted a foot ever so slightly, and the mouse was off like a shot, heading straight toward Kejōrō, shrieked and ran deeper into the kitchen with the mouse hot on her heels. The other yōkai yelled in surprise, and followed after, not used to seeing her frightened so easily by such a small creature she could easily kill without a thought. Zen flashed the boys a thumbs up before following the others into the storage area, where Kejōrō's screams could still be heard.

Without wasting a second, Rikuo snuck into the kitchen and searched around the abandoned tables, searching for a certain object… Aha! Rikuo grinned triumph as he found the object he was looking for. He took off the lid of the object, and carefully took out the container hidden in his kimono. Making sure that no one was watching, he took out the stopper in the container and dumped its contents into the object, watching carefully to make sure all of it went in, and that the substance dissolved without a trace. With a smile of satisfaction, he tiptoed over to the door, and opened it with a bang. This brought another shriek from the storage area, and Rikuo motioned for Tsuna to follow him as they headed to the back of the kitchen.

"What's everyone doing here?" Rikuo said, a bright and innocent smile on his face while Tsuna stood slightly behind him and was shifting uneasily. Most of the yōkai figured it was because he was still shy around them, since he was around Rikuo and Zen the most.

"Y-Young Master!" Kejōrō gasped, trying to regain her dignity as she put down the small yōkai that had been in her arms all this time, who had passed out from the lack of oxygen. "I-I was, ah, getting some spices!" She said, trying to excuse herself.

"Spices? You were running from a baby mouse! This Zen saw it!" Zen proclaimed, staring at Kejōrō accusingly.

Rikuo schooled his face into a look of surprise, and looked around the storage area for the supposed mouse. "A mouse? Where?" He asked.

"I-I h-have it." A timid voice came, and everyone turned to Tsuna, who was holding the mouse in his cupped palms. The mouse was a quivering ball of brown fur, but with a few strokes of Tsuna's finger and a some low soothing words, the mouse calmed down somewhat, and emerged from its tight ball.

Laughing, Rikuo, said between giggles, "Haha, Kejōrō is such a scaredy cat!" And pulling Zen's arm behind him, he ran out the door with obscure shouts, Tsuna following close behind them as he gave the staring yōkai a small bow, and quietly shut the door.

The collective yōkai blinked few times, before Nattō Kozō asked, "Ne, what did the Young Master come into the kitchen for?"

* * *

><p>Nurarihyon was drinking tea in a room with Nana as they usually did now, talking about the past and other such things. Nurarihyon took a long sip, before setting the cup down on the tatami mat. "It's been rather quiet today, don't you think?"<p>

Nana hummed in reply as she drank her tea. "Except for Kejōrō-chan's screaming from the kitchen this morning."

Nurarihyon chuckled and took out his pipe and lit it. He took a long puff and sighed, a long stream of smoke leaving his mouth. "I wonder what that grandson of mine has been up to today. Aotabō, Kurotabō or Yuki Onna would have come by now to complain about another prank of his."

"Maybe Rikuo got tired of playing pranks on everyone." Nana suggested.

There was a long moment of silence, before they both went, "Naa." And chuckled warmly.

"There's about as much chance of Rikuo getting tired of pranks as you and Rihan did when you two were children." Nurarihyon said fondly, getting a long drag on his pipe. He breathed it out slowly, watching it swirly lazily in the air.

Nana watched with a smile, "I wonder if they know about the General Council's meeting that all the Clan heads are coming to."

"Well," Nurarihyon sighed, "What's the worse they can do? They're only children. And even if Zen is with them, two human boys cannot possibly do something _too_ disastrous."

Nana hummed knowingly, "I wouldn't say that." She said, smiling smugly.

Nurarihyon raised an eyebrow, "Do you know something?"

Nana merely hummed again and sipped her tea in reply and watched the small pink petals of the weeping cherry tree flutter gently into the room.

* * *

><p>"Seems like the clan heads are arriving now."<p>

"Eh? There's a general meeting today?"

"Oh no! I didn't take down the laundry yet!"

Nana chuckled as she sat by the fusuma doors that were opened slightly, allowing the idle chatter of the yōkai to drift through the opening. "Looks like everyone knows about the heads coming here today." She said, smiling that knowing smile.

Nurarihyon grumbled and frowned, "I just hope that grandson of mine doesn't pull a stupid prank that could land me in trouble with them. They're naggy enough as is. I don't need them whining to me about how I raise my grandchild."

Nana gave a cheeky smirk, and gave her uncle a pat as she went through the doors on the other side of the room, leading to the garden.

"Eh? You're not staying?" Nurarihyon said, not surprised in the least. She had the blood of the yōkai Nurarihyon after all, and all of their line wandered and went as they pleased after all.

"Nope, I want to get a good spot." Nana threw back over her shoulder, and disappeared before Nurarihyon could comment further.

Nurarihyon, at that moment, wished that his son was still alive to deal with his troublemaking son.

* * *

><p>"Right then, you guys. You've travelled quite far, so we've prepared the usual meals and sake for you. Go ahead and eat and we'll discuss our business afterwards." Nurarihyon said, in a rather bored tone.<p>

The clan heads bowed their heads slightly, and with the various calls of, 'Itadakimasu!' the yōkai began to eat the delicious as usual food prepared by the servants of the Nura clan main house. Many began breaking out the sake bottles, as it had been a while since they had gathered and there were plenty of good news to be said. Needless to say, a large number of the sake supply to the main house was depleted that night.

Once everyone had finished their meals, the tray and sake bottles were cleared from the room and an air of seriousness settled in as the heads pulled out their pipes and began to smoke. Nurarihyon pulled a long smoke and breathed out slowly, shifting on his zabuton and leaned on his armrest. "Now then, let's get down to business. Who wants to start their report?" He said, his eyes on his pipe as he examined a small crack that was starting to appear.

He looked up when no one spoke, "Oi, what's wrong with you guys?" He said, looking at the yōkai assembled before him.

"S-Supreme Commander," The head of the Bakeneko clan said, with his face pale and the ears on top of his head was flattened and held back slightly. "M-My apologies b-but…"

"Out with it, boy." Nurarihyon grumbled, noticing a shiny sheen appearing on the yōkai's face. "What's with you? You look like you're having stomach problems."

"Supreme Commander, I believe he is not the only one." Came the deep voice of Gyūki from the other side, his voice unusually quiet and weak.

"Eh?" Nurarihyon replied, looking at all the heads carefully now. He could see that everyone wore the same look of discomfort and had a visible sheen of sweat on their faces. "What's gotten into you guys? Don't tell me you all have come down with the flu!"

Hitotsume suddenly stood up, his pipe falling to the floor. "My apologies, Supreme Commander!" He excused, and quickly ran out the door that Nurarihyon didn't know he possessed. Quickly, the other yōkai excused themselves and left out the door as well, leaving Nurarihyon to stare at them with a bewildered expression before he ground his teeth around the smoking pipe. He got up from the zabuton and went to the other side of the room, opening the fusuma and walking out to the veranda and stood there, watching the weeping cheery tree.

"You knew about this, didn't you?"

A feminine laugh fell on his ears before Nana appeared sitting in the tree, a bottle of sake in her hand. She grinned, "Of course I did, they act the same as I did when Rihan and I were children."

Nurarihyon growled, "You could have warned me, now Karasu is going to be nagging me for days for this."

"Maa maa, Uncle. You should just be glad that you didn't become a victim as well." Nana said, raising her hands in surrender.

Before Nurarihyon could scold her, Karasu's coarse voice screeched through Nurarihyon's ears and Nana disappeared once more with a laugh. "SUPREME COMMANDER!" The tengu said, zooming into the room with tears in his eyes. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Oh, be quiet, Karasu. It wasn't my fault this time." Nurarihyon replied, nonchalantly digging a finger in his ear.

Karasu sputtered, "Wha—This—You mean—THEN YOU WERE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR SLIPPING THAT SLEEPING POTION IN EVERYONE'S TEA LAS TIME!"

"Che, I guess I shouldn't have said that." Nurarihyon said, not ashamed in the least. "Why are you so angry? It wasn't such a big deal."

Karasu just stared at him with beak agape, too flabbergasted to say anything back. Apparently, the amount of sleeping potion Nurarihyon slipped into the tea was enough to make a dozen Tsuchigumos fall asleep. Each of the heads had fallen asleep within a few minutes, and Nurarihyon had slipped out and disappeared into town for the whole night and didn't return until early morning. And even then, as soon as he got wind of one of the heads waking up, he disappeared somewhere in the house, leaving Karasu to deal with the angry heads whom had woken up with a nasty migrane and a severe case of indigestion for the following day.

Karasu had been a little more than irritated at Nurarihyon, who had denied any involvement with the heads' sudden 'illness.'

* * *

><p>"Boys!" Nana called from down the hall, wearing a light yukata that was a light orange with an orange flame pattern decorating the hem and sleeves.<p>

Tsuna, Rikuo and Zen slowly turned around to see Nana beaming at them as she walked down the hall. The trio had seen the reaction of the head's through a hole the fusuma doors, and had witnessed all of the heads' hasty exit as they clamored for the restroom. From the look on Nana's face, they weren't quite sure that she knew what they did.

"Excellent prank! Not as good as the one I did with Rihan when we were children, but admirable for actually accomplishing it as humans!" Nana praised, patting each of the alarmed and confused boys on the head.

"Y-You k-know, Mama?" Tsuna whimpered, shrinking as small as possible.

Nana ruffled Tsuna's hair, causing the small brunette to squeak in surprise. "Of course I know! Watched the whole thing outside. Don't worry, I'm not going to punish you. I told you, I did the same thing when I was young as well."

"You? Really?" Zen said incredulously.

"What did you do?" Rikuo said, no hint of accusation in his voice, but the three could clearly see the sparkles in the boy's eyes as he stared excitedly for an amazing story.

Nana shrugged, "It's nothing really, I just slipped some Trinidad Moruga Scorpion into the food of all the head's when they came here years ago." She looked casually at the three boys, who were staring at her with pure horror on their faces. She then realized they thought she had slipped an _actual_ scorpion in their food. "No, it's not what you think!" She said hurriedly, trying to clear up the misunderstanding. "It's a type of fruit!"

"Fruit?" Zen said suspiciously. "This Zen has studied many plants, and I have never heard of a… Tinidid Marogi Scorpion."

"Trinidad Moruga Scorpion," Nana corrected, "Is the hottest type of pepper in the world. For some yōkai, it's not quite so bad since they're a fire type anyways. For others, like Yuki Onna for instance, is really excruciatingly bad since they're an ice type."

Tsuna was looking at his mother with a newfound sense of awe; he never knew his mother had this side to her. "Y-You r-really did t-that?" He stuttered, this time, out of surprise.

"Well, it was your father's idea," Nana said, nodding toward Rikuo. He looked surprise at that knowledge. "What, you didn't know your father was quite the prankster like you when he was a child?"

Rikuo shook his head, "He always went out with the yōkai every night… He looked so cool he left and came back with all of them."

"Looked…?" Nana muttered, watching Rikuo's expression. In her mind she silently prayed to Rihan, _My apologies, Rihan. I seem to have ruined the image you built in Rikuo's mind._

"What happened when they found out who did it?" Zen's voice interrupted, making Nana gasp a little in surprise.

"What? Oh, er, well, the same thing that's going to be happening to you in just a moment." She said, and vanished right before their eyes.

Rikuo looked at the other two boys with him, his confused face mirroring the other two. "What did she mean by that?"

Angry howls of "RIKUOOOOOOO!" "ZEEEEEEEEEEN!" and "TSUNAAAAAAAA!" pierced their ears, and they instantly fled, with the heads of the Nura Clan hot on their heels.


	4. Chapter 3

It had been several days since Tsuna and Nana had come into the Nura clan main household. And not once had Iemitsu called the cell phone he had given Nana, and everyone could see how worried she was for her husband. Though she had covered it up with a bright smile and tried to help around in the kitchen with the other yōkai, it was plainly obvious that she was worried when they received their meals and the trays were filled with enough food to feed an army of yōkai. Even the usually dense Tsuna, who had enjoyed finally playing with someone his own age and accepted him, could see the strained smile stretched on Nana's face.

After receiving complaints on the amount of food Nana was using, Nurarihyon finally asked Karasu Tengu to find out what happened to Iemitsu. When Nana had requested Nurarihyon to keep an eye on her husband for her all those years ago, he had done it merely to keep her from complaining. After all, she did have her mother's fiery temper. But as a human, Iemitsu had impressed Nurarihyon more and more as he discovered more about the Vongola famiglia that he was involved in, and his position as the CEDEF chief. To Nurarihyon, it was almost as if the humans were making their own Hyakki Yakō, and the boss of the Vongola family was the Supreme Commander of the human world. It was truly remarkable how fast humans could build up in just four hundred years.

When Nana had first arrived the few days earlier, she had told Karasu and Nurarihyon everything she heard during the conversation. Between the three of them, they agreed that the first place to investigate would be Italy. However, Italy was far out of Nura clan territory, and Nurarihyon wasn't even familiar with any yōkai outside of Japan. But if it would stop Nana from overstuffing every member of the main house with all the delicious food she made, Nurarihyon was determined to find out what was going on. But with the lack of means for communication between Japanese and Italian, he was left with no choice but to leave it to Karasu and the Sanbagarasu.

A little relief and a ray of hope began to shine on Nana, and she eased on the cooking for a while, but it was still clear she was worried. Finally, Wakana had suggested to the woman that they go shopping, and Nurarihyon had given them enough funds to last them for a few hours. Initially, Nana hadn't wanted to leave, in case word came of Iemitsu. However, shopping soon became a temptation too hard to ignore and she left with Wakana, albeit reluctantly. She hadn't shopped for herself since Tsuna was born, as Iemitsu only stayed for a few days before he disappeared to wherever his work called him to. But the gloomy atmosphere refused to budge, and finally, she asked Wakana how could she have stood having a husband that constantly left, never knowing when he would come back. How could she not have followed him or made him stay by her side?

Wakana had just given her the same smile that her son had, though it was a touch sad, and said, "Because I know that no matter where he went, he fought to protect those that are important to him.

Looking at the other in surprise, Nana could see the strength Wakana held at watching her husband leave with his Hyakki Yakō every night and living with her own pain while raising the young Rikuo when Rihan died. She couldn't help but hang her head in shame, she was much older than Wakana, yet she still complained of her insecurities as if she was a child. Feeling a soft touch on her shoulder, she looked at Wakana who was watching her with understanding. "Both of our husbands have to go far to protect us, what we can do is wait for them and smile when they come back." She said.

Finally feeling the tension leave her body, Nana took Wakana's arm in hers, and they walked into the busy shops downtown as they chattered and gossiped about life in the main house. When they returned hours later with many bags in hand, everyone felt a little brighter when they saw both women wearing happy smiles and laughing as if they had no worries in the world.

* * *

><p>Tsuna had been getting along wonderfully with Rikuo, and by that extention, Zen as well. Though Tsuna was extremely intimidated by Zen, he slowly got used to him and began warming up to the two. Zen, who had initially suspected Tsuna as an assassin well-trained in hiding his 'fear' and in the arts of disguise, had attempted to 'persuade' him to leave immediately.<p>

"Tsuna, would you like a drink?" Zen offered, holding a cup filled with water out to him.

A grateful smile on his face, Tsuna nodded, "Y-Yeah, t-thank you, Zen-san!" And had reached out to take the cup. As he accepted the beverage, something was telling him he shouldn't drink it, since there was something awfully suspicious about that small feather floating innocently in the cup.

"Zen-sama, Tsuna-sama, I've brought tea." Kojōrō said as she walked up to them carrying a tray with two cups sitting on it and a teapot. She saw the cup Tsuna was holding and immediately noticed the small feather floating in it. She began to sweat as she recognized the feather, and she mumbled out an excuse about the cup being used for ceremonial uses, snatched it from Tsuna's grip, and had retreated before either of the boys could say a word. Tsuna had looked at Zen with a look of bewilderment, while Zen shot Tsuna a look of annoyance.

Rikuo and Tsuna remained blissfully unaware of Zen's attempts to get rid of Tsuna, and Zen continued to try to poison the boy. Finally, when Zen was walking back to his room, he encountered Nana, who was walking to Wakana's room to give her some clothes that she thought the other would like.

Noticing the khaki haired bird yōkai, she greeted, "Ah, you must be Zen-kun of the Zhen sect!"

"Yes. This Zen is pleased to meet you. You are Nana, mother of Tsunayoshi, correct?" Zen said, bowing slightly to the other. He didn't entirely know who she was, but his father had always told him to respect those of Nurarihyon's line. Rikuo had introduced Tsuna as his cousin, and though he wasn't entirely sure that was true, he would stay with that until he proved otherwise.

Putting a hand to her cheek, she replied, "Such a polite child, though I'm sure that it's from your father, isn't it, Zen-kun?"

Surprised, Zen kept a straight face and said, "You know my father?" He guessed that maybe she had seen him somewhere since Nana looked to be around her mid-thirties.

Nana nodded and looked off into the garden, her eyes distant as she remembered the times of her childhood growing up in the Nura household. "Ah, yes. He was younger than Rihan, so I suppose that was the reason he was much like a little puppy, following us all the time. Though with your species, I suppose it's more of the case of the chick following the mother bird, hm?"

Zen could only blink in shock at what he had thought was a normal human. Looking at Zen's expression, Nana mused, "You don't believe me, do you?"

Gasping, Zen bowed more deeply this time, "My apologies, this Zen did not mean to be rude!"

Nana laughed quietly, shaking her head slowly, "You are so alike to your father, right down to your manner of speech. I bet he still preens his feathers every day first thing in the morning, ne?"

Now Zen was certain that the person before him was no mere human. It was a tightly kept secret that his father was secretly rather vain about his wings. He had always promised to punish Zen if he revealed to anyone about his ritual habit, though when it was just Nurarihyon or Rihan in the room, they had poked fun about the great care the bird yōkai put into his wings. When yōkai came in to deliver the tea, they had to flee immediately after opening the door as a flurry of feathers escaped. If the person standing before him knew that much, then relation or not, this was someone that his father truly trusted.

"Yes, Nana-sama." Zen said, "Every morning in the light of the rising sun."

Nana nodded, "He did say something about the sun at a certain angle showed how pristine his feathers were. And you don't have to call me 'Nana-sama,' you can call me 'Mama,' like Tsuna."

Zen nodded, feeling sweat slowly drip down the back of his neck. Hearing Tsuna's name, he realized that he had been trying to kill the son of his father's trusted friend. And he knew that Nana knew, since she was giving him a bright smile that made him more scared that his father's threats to pluck his wings.

"Y-Yes, M-mama." Zen stuttered, stumbling over the unfamiliar word. He knew he was going to have to tread carefully as yōkai could be very dangerous, especially yōkai mothers close to their children. A thought struck him, and he voiced it carefully, still frightened by the terrifying aura surrounding Nana, who still wore that cheery smile. "U-Um, are you a yōkai?"

Looking at the boy before her, she decided to demonstrate to him that she was just any yōkai, she was a yōkai that kick his feathery ass in a moment. She unleashed a small portion of her 'fear,' not enough to alarm some of the yōkai around her, but enough to show Zen what she could do if he threatened Tsuna's life again. "Please take care of my Tsu-kun, hm?" She said, that same smile that had grown quite eerie to the bird yōkai now.

"Y-Yes." Was the only reply Zen could give, amazed at the amount of fear that Nana seemed to possess. He could only wonder why she didn't take up the title of 'Third' after Rihan had died, even if Rikuo constantly expressed his wish to succeed his grandfather.

After that incident, the two young brunettes found that Zen became much friendlier toward Tsuna, much to their happiness. Now that Zen's suspicions were gone, he discovered that while Tsuna was still a shy child, he was also very keen and had a hidden courage, with an uncanny insight that no one he knew possessed. Sometimes when he gazed into his chocolate colored eyes, he thought he saw a flicker of orange or red behind them, but figured them to be a trick of the light and ignored it.

During Nana and Tsuna's stay at the main house, Tsuna had been given an outfit that was similar to Rikuo's. Instead of a red cloak, however, he was given an orange one to help distinguish the two apart, as from behind, they looked similar. But if one scrutinized the pair when they stood together, they could see that Rikuo's reverse pudding hair was spikier, whereas Tsuna's was more flat and less of a mass.

For their stay at the main house, Tsuna had been given an outfit that was similar to Rikuo's, though he was given an orange cloak instead of a red to help distinguish the difference between them. Thanks to the influence of Rikuo, Tsuna was becoming more open and smiling much more than he was at home, which Nana was thankful for. She was fully aware of how children at school had bullied Tsuna, and how Tsuna had acted in school as well. As much as she wished too, there was nothing she could do about it other than comfort Tsuna's tears and hope he would grow on the experience as he grew older.

As the days at the house grew, Tsuna saw Rikuo not only as a human boy that was kind to him and didn't call him 'Dame-Tsuna' or some other name that everyone in his school constantly called him, but as a brother and friend that he never had. Zen, as well, eventually became a protective older brother as well to the shy brunette and taught them about medicinal and poisonous plants when they went on their weekly walks together on the mountains.

Rikuo, as well, changed noticeably as he spent more time with Tsuna. At school, he didn't have many human friends other than Kana, and even then, they never got much time to spend with each other since they were in different classes. He was happy to finally meet another person who, like him, was a mix of yōkai and human blood, and was also of the same age of him. Though he initially found Tsuna's wary personality to be a little hard to warm up to, he found a kindred spirit in Tsuna that was not unlike his own. While everyone would think he was a much too submissive child who kept his head down too often, Rikuo could see that underneath those long brown bangs, Tsuna's eyes were planning and calculative with a mischievous light.

During the day, while Rikuo went to school, Tsuna would spend time with Zen, if he was at the main house, or wander around with his mother, who taught him bits of yōkai lore. Though he was very frightened of all the frightening creatures of the night, a few words from Nana had reassured him and he got used to them as well. Soon, he got used to opening the doors to some room and finding a large crowd of monstrous yōkai on the other side secretly drinking a large supply of sake while others were out and about in their day. There were many attempts to see Tsuna's yōkai nature, since everyone knew he was Nana's child, and every single yōkai who had lived for the past three hundred years knew _exactly_ what Nana was.

"Ah, it's Tsuna-sama." A yōkai said as he noticed the small boy standing by the door.

Not to be deterred from finding Nana, Tsuna walked into the room with no fear, and sat down amongst the yōkai. "H-Have you guys seen M-Mama?" He stuttered slightly; it still didn't go away when he was with these yōkai, though it was much better than it was when they tried to strike up a conversation when he first arrived. He couldn't make a coherent sentence to them at that stage. "A-And you don't have to c-call me '-sama.'" He added, looking away and blushing slightly.

The yōkai nearby turned away to hide their reddening faces. Children really were adorable when they were at that age. Some remained turned away, in order to hide their nosebleeds, and the others coughed as they turned around to get their minds back on track. Tsuna, being the little boy that he was, had no idea what had just happened. "We haven't seen Nana-sama yet, but maybe Natto has seen her, ne? Nattō?"

Nattō Kozō turned around from where he had been drinking with some other of the small yōkai of the clan, and seemed sober enough to know what was going on. "Nana-sama? I think I saw her with the Supreme Commander." He hiccupped and called out, "Oi, Kubinashi! Bring out more sake! We're running out here!"

"A-Ah, is t-that so? T-Thank you v-very much!" The boy said, and got up to scurry out the door quickly before the yōkai tried to get him drunk like last time.

A long arm reached out and grasped Tsuna by the collar, pulling him back toward the group. "Hold on there, Tsuna-kun. Why in so much of a rush? Don't you want to stay a bit and share some sake with us?" Some asked, offering a small sake bottle to the boy.

Tsuna waved his arms in front of him, "N-NO! I-I mean, M-mama w-would be a-angry i-if…" He trailed off, his eyes looking everywhere but at the yōkai.

The yōkai shuddered slightly, remembering what had happened when Nana found out they had gotten her son drunk. After a thorough beating for each of the ones involved, she had revoked the sake privileges for all the yōkai for the week, and had hidden them very carefully where they couldn't find it. After that experience, they never wanted to incur her wrath every again.

"E-Er, right." One of the yōkai coughed, "Then how about you show us your yōkai form?"

Tsuna blinked at them innocently, "Y-Yōkai… form…?" He tilted his head to the side slightly and stared at them with his wide eyes.

Many of the yōkai in the room turned away when they saw Tsuna do that, and had to stuff various things in their noses to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately for them, there were no tissues on hand and had to use… other… things… in order to stop the flow.

"Amefurikozō… W-Why do you h-have the handle o-of your paper l-lantern up your n-nose?" Tsuna asked innocently, having no idea why over half of the yōkai in the room having food, chopsticks or whatever piece of cloth they had on hand stuffed up their nose, if they had one.

"Er, why don't you just show us your yōkai form, Tsuna-chan?" Another yōkai spoke up, attempting to keep the yōkai from bleeding further.

"I-I don't know a-about my y-yōkai form… Mama n-never told me h-how to…" Tsuna said, his voice fading off near the end. He looked rather uncomfortable, and started to fidget under the stares he was receiving.

The whole room was silent now, watching Tsuna as they silently drank their sake. "You know how long you're staying here for? We could try to teach you, you're the Supreme Commander's family." One of the yōkai piped up from the back.

Tsuna looked surprised, "T-Teach me…?" His face scrunched up in thought, "B-But I d-don't know h-how long I-I'm staying…"

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, with Nana and Nurarihyon<em>

"Are you certain, Uncle?" Nana pressed, obviously concerned about the worrisome news.

Nurarihyon sighed, "I wished it wasn't so, but it seems that they have sent some assassins… They don't seem to have found out you or Tsuna are here, but it may be just a matter of time." He puffed on his pipe in thought.

"Then... What about Iemitsu?" Nana asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

There was a long pause before Nurarihyon answered, looking slightly over Nana's shoulder. "Iemitsu is fine…" He said slowly, and Nana's face brightened instantly. "But it seems that the situation is dire enough he cannot leave Italy currently." Her face fell slightly, but she tried to keep a small smile on her face at the news of her husband still alive.

"There is… another matter." Nurarihyon said, breaking into her thoughts. "It's about that gunfight that you heard on the phone when Iemitsu called you."

Nana looked up, an alarmed expression on her face. "What is it? Does it have something to do with my family?" She asked, hoping deeply in her heart that it didn't. But she knew that it did, and it was going to change their lives.

"Karasu's sons have reported that one of the leader of the Vongola's son was involved in the fight…" Nurarihyon said. "It seems that the first heir was killed by a stray gunshot during the battle."

Nana's eyes widened and a hand went up and covered her mouth. "T-Then… Doesn't that mean…?"

Nurarihyon nodded gravely, "Yes, it seems that Tsuna is one step closer to becoming the next Vongola successor. However, if the Vongola are careful, their two remaining candidates may live long enough to take the title and Tsuna may not have to."

Looking down, Nana knew that that wouldn't happen. "There… are too many people who want the Vongola gone… Many would want all of Ieyasu-kun's bloodline to be dead."

"Yes, Ieyasu told me that when we shared sake all those years ago when he came to Japan. That intuition of his was exactly right." Nurarihyon chuckled lightly, "You know, your boy looks surprisingly like him."

"Does he? My parents told me that when they first saw Tsuna, but I didn't think so." Nana said, slightly disbelieving. Of course, it wasn't impossible to carry a family resemblance to one another, but it just seemed Tsuna was too far to inherit his great-great-great grandfather's appearance.

"Well, if you don't believe me, I believe I have a painting someone did of when Ieyasu and I were drinking sake together." Nurarihyon said, getting up to check the cabinets next to the tokonoma to see if it was there; he knew they had the painting since he had just been looking at it the other day. After searching through some drawers, he finally found the sheet, and handed it to Nana. "Don't you think there's a strong resemblance?" He grinned.

Nana looked at the painting shocked, and was silent for a few moments. She looked at Nurarihyon and said teasingly, "I can see the strong resemblance between you and _your _grandfather." And turned back to look at the painting. It had been drawn long ago, likely after the incident in Edo with Hagoromo Gitsune, that much was certain if the style was anything to go by, but it was hard not to see how much Tsuna looked to his ancestor. Though the ink and the colors were faded over the years, she could still see the vibrant and bright yellow hair that spiked about on Ieyasu's head, as well as the calm light amber colored eyes that seemed to look through her. Her eyes softened, and finally closed before she returned the picture back to Nurarihyon. "Yes, he does resemble him quite a bit, even if Tsuna's hair is much more flat than his at the moment."

Opening her eyes, Nana looked at her uncle with a look of utter seriousness. "How long, do you think?" She stated, rather than asked.

Knowing full well what she was asking, Nurarihyon pretended to remain dumb, and replied, "How long until what?" He drawled, looking at his pipe.

Remaining silent, they both knew the question she was asking. "With the amount of assassins that basically every powerful family in the world against the Vongola, I can't say that it will take forever. Most likely in the next few years, I expect, if they are sufficient." Nurarihyon finally answered.

"You sound almost as though you want it to happen." She mused.

"Well, I know that you don't. That is why you married a human, is it not?" Nurarihyon returned.

Nana sighed, and wringed her hands in front of her and shook her head. "I never thought that this would happen, most yōkai who mate with a human usually have a peaceful life."

Sighing, Nurarihyon replied, "We tried to tell you, but you refused to listen. You certainly have your mother's blood in you."

Nana rose silently from her zabuton and headed for the shōji door, but hesitated as Nurarihyon asked, "Where are you going?"

She looked over her shoulder, "I can't keep protecting Tsuna from the threats of humans anymore. I love my son, and I will try to keep him from danger as long as I possibly can, but he needs to know what's happening in his life."

"You don't think he's too young?" Nurarihyon asked, grinding his teeth on his pipe.

Nana gave a bitter smile, "Right from the day children are born, they're already in danger. It's time for my son to learn that." And so saying, she opened the door and left, leaving Nurarihyon behind to ponder in his thoughts.

* * *

><p>AN: I'm not aware of where the CEDEF headquarters ACTUALLY is, but for this story's sake, but I'm going to assume its Italy. Looking at the small picture that was in the manga, I know I'm most likely wrong, but I really don't know where else to stick it and still have it make sense that Nurarihyon can go there. Zen's father is also not mentioned other than telling Zen about their family being protected by Nurarihyon (though this might have been said by Karasu or someone else, idk) so I just made up his character.

Just in case you guys are confused, Rihan is an only child as he is in the manga. I will be writing out Tsuna and Nana's relation to Nurarihyon and Tsuna soon, as well as starting to introduce the Vongola into this as well. They will be mafia, since I can't quite think up any other way to write them, and the Guardians will start showing up as well.

I got so caught up doing to the omake, that I realized just yesterday that I wouldn't have enough time to write this chapter and scan it for any mistake that I'm 100% sure I made.

As always, I would be grateful if you guys would review and let me know of any mistakes of confusion I have made in the story, and the next chapter will likely be one week from now if nothing comes up.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N : Made some edits to this chapter, (hopefully) fixing up some grammatical errors, fleshing out a bit of details, and adding another page of content.

* * *

><p>The cold yet sweet morning breeze swept through the Nura household, softly brushing past anyone, or anything, that would still be up to see the rising sun. It was a very small number, seeing as how all the yōkai had thrown a drinking party the night before. Many were either out cold, very nearly at that point, or were off at another bar in town for more alcohol.<p>

Tsuna was one of the very few who was up at this hour, mostly because Nana wouldn't let him participate in the party since he was still a child. He didn't mind since he disliked the bitter taste of sake, and there had been a thunderstorm passing by during the night, which he had stayed up to watch.

He had wrapped himself up in a bundle of blankets as he sat out on the veranda, enjoying the sight and smell of the fresh earth. His large brown eyes eagerly drank in the sight of the garden slowly begin to sparkle as the sun rose in the sky, the leaves still heavy with raindrops. The sky was still lightly covered with grey clouds with patches of blue sky peeking through, letting golden rays of sunshine through. Tsuna closed his eyes and sighed with a happy smile.

For as long as he could remember, he had always been fascinated with the sky. While many, including Nana, assumed he was frightened of thunderstorms, it was actually his favourite weather. Not to walk around in, of course, but to watch with awe and wonder from his bedroom window. It was strange considering the nature of a thunderstorm, but it always made him feel relaxed. Though considering the explanation about the Vongola Nana had given yesterday, he supposed it made sense in a weird way.

"Vongola, huh…?" Tsuna murmured, his eyes fixed on a large patch blue sky. Though he felt he should be surprised and scared about it, he was actually feeling pretty calm about all of it. Nana had told only what they had needed to know, which was who the Vongola were, what Iemitsu's role was, and why Tsuna had a connection with them. Most of the details had flown over his head, since he didn't understand most of it, but he understood enough to know that Nana didn't want him to become a part of it.

Of course, he was terrified out of his mind at the thought of becoming a mafia boss, and he really didn't want to become one if he had a choice. After all, the mafia were the bad guys, right? They fought the good guys and did bad things. There was one day, when his mother had gone out, he had happened to see the movie '_The Godfather_' on television. He didn't really understand a whole lot of the movie, being only seven at the time, but he was terrified out of his mind about what happened. There was so much shooting and people dying, he never wanted to become a part of that kind of world.

But even if he did end up walking down that path, he wouldn't be doing it alone. Zen and Rikuo had been trying to eavesdrop somewhere nearby, something that went unsuccessful as even Tsuna could hear them loudly whispering through the rice paper walls. Nana had tried making them leave, but both of them had refused to leave Tsuna alone in something as crucial as this.

The action had touched Tsuna, as no one had ever wanted to stay with him before. No one was even willing to call him a friend back in Namimori, or even attempt to get along with him. Reputation had preceded him, and he had a feeling that it would stick with him all through his life. But to have not one but _two_ people, well, Tsuna felt like he was dreaming.

Even after finding out about Tsuna's ancestry and inheritance, they didn't seem to think any differently of Tsuna, though they had stared at Tsuna opened mouthed at the thought that the shy brunet could one day become the human world's equivalent to the yōkai Supreme Commander. They would have laughed if not for the thought that maybe, if it was Tsuna, it just might be possible.

Nana made sure that the two promised not to tell anyone else what she had told them, _especially_ the humans, as it might get Tsuna into trouble. Their slightly dazed expression worried her a little, but they promised and were off to go to sleep off the shock overnight. Nana looked over at Tsuna and decided that it was late enough she could just take him back to his room, resolving to smooth things over with him the next morning.

Tsuna yawned widely, rubbing a cold hand over his prickling eyes. He buried himself a little deeper into the blankets, fighting off the urge to sleep. The cold air was refreshing when inside all it smelled like was tobacco and sake, and it helped to clear his mind of all the thoughts of the mafia. And while he wasn't superstitious, he felt that the thunderstorm had come along to comfort him as his mother said it did. He wondered if he would ever meet the people like the thunderstorms he watched so often.

"Oh, Tsuna," A voice greeted, "Up early today, huh?"

"Morning, Zen." Tsuna replied, a sleepy smile on his face. "No, I was up watching the storm."

Zen looked over in the direction of the sunrise. He nodded. "This Zen was woken by the thunder last night."

An awkward silence settled between them, not knowing what else there was to say. Both of them were still filled of thoughts of the talk yesterday, and were still working to understand all of it. They stared at the rising sun over the rooftops, though they weren't really watching it.

Finally, Tsuna voiced a question that had been bothering him for a long time. "Zen, what is a… 'Mafia?"

Zen snapped out of his daze, only half hearing the brunet's question. "What?"

"What is a 'mafia.'" Tsuna repeated, turning to look at Zen.

"A Mafia…" Zen muttered, scratching his head. He stared right back at Tsuna, wondering how to explain it in a way he would understand. He frowned and sat down next to him.

The expression worried Tsuna, as he thought that he had managed to anger Zen again. He knew that Zen had a short temper, but he never quite knew how to exactly work his way around it. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. "S-Sorry!" He stuttered, "Y-you don't h-have t-to i-if you d-don't… want to!"

Zen raised a brow, confused at Tsuna frightened behaviour. He grinned and ruffled the younger boy's fluffy hair. "This Zen is not angry." He said, "I was just thinking of how to explain this to you."

"O-Oh…" Tsuna said, blushing slightly now. Zen briefly wondered what it would have been like if Tsuna was a little sister instead, though he immediately pushed the thought out of his head. Tsuna already looked a lot like Nana, and if he was a girl, he might even get her personality. She didn't look very strong, but she was scarier than any yōkai Zen had met. "I… I knew that."

"A Mafia…" Zen started, then hesitated. Tsuna was still very young, the same age as Rikuo if he remembered correctly. He was still an innocent child, so he was sure that Nana would pluck every single one of his feathers, poison be damned, if she ever found out he told her precious son all the gory details. He didn't know all that much himself, since a Mafia was a human thing, and Rikuo and was the closest to a human he'd ever known. Well, it couldn't be too bad to make some stuff up, would it? "They're a group of people, sort of like us."

Tsuna's eyes widened. "They're yōkai too?"

"No, no, they're human. I think." Zen paused, thinking. He'd heard rumours over the years of humans with special, almost yōkai, abilities. They'd been particularly focused at the Mafia, though Zen couldn't tell for sure if it was true or not. He knew there were some who had a fondness for humans, so it wouldn't be that far-fetched, but it could also be some kind of human technology too. "They work together like a family, like we do."

Tsuna thought about it for a moment, and then looked confused. "Then we're a yōkai mafia?"

"That wouldn't be wrong…" Zen said slowly, wondering how much Tsuna knew about yōkai. Rikuo had said that Tsuna had only recently come into the yōkai world. Was he going to have to explain everything? "Has Maman ever explained what a Hyakki Yakō is?"

"No. She knows what it is?" Tsuna replied, surprised.

Zen snorted. "Of course she does. I wouldn't be surprised if she had one back in your home."

Tsuna's eyes widened so far, Zen worried he might hurt himself. "Really? Are you sure? I wonder if it's something in our house…"

The brunet spent a few moments in a daydream, likely imagining what Nana's Hyakki Yakō was like. Zen was glad for it, since Tsuna tended to ask some difficult questions. He was a bit like Rikuo with his curiosity about yōkai, except he tended to ask more question about yōkai than stories about their conquests around Japan. He hoped that maybe Tsuna might even leave the questions for someone else to answer.

Alas, it was not to be as Tsuna nudged Zen, returning to the matter at hand. "But what _is_ a Hyakki Yakō?"

Zen sighed, feeling that he should have known better than to think Tsuna would've given up. When the boy wanted something, he would keep going until he got it. It was admirable, when compared to Rikuo whose attention seemed to bounce everywhere.

"It's a group of yōkai who follow under someone. The strongest one, usually." Zen explained tiredly.

When a few minutes passed with no reply, Zen wondered if the boy had passed out. It wasn't uncommon, considering his shy personality. Added with the fact the boy apparently hadn't slept the whole night, he probably should be out cold. He peeked out of the corner of his eye at Tsuna, and nearly fell over as he saw the look of awe on his face. Zen recognized the look as the one Rikuo would wear whenever he heard of his grandfather's stories of when he was still young, and he roamed around Edo with his Hyakki Yakō every night both before and after he became the Supreme Commander.

"Are you part of the Hyakki Yakō too, Zen?" Tsuna asked, and Zen _swore_ there were sparkles and flowers shining behind him. Tsuna really was hanging around Rikuo too often; his fascination towards yōkai was rubbing off on the formerly shy brunet.

Before Zen could give his answer, Rikuo's cheerful voice interrupted them. "Zen, Tsuna, good morning!" He called, waving at them as he ran down the veranda to join them.

"Morning, Rikuo." Zen said, giving him a small smile.

"Good morning!" Tsuna cheered, before he seemed to realize something and set his face as serious as a child his age possibly could, which was more cute than anything else. "Rikuo… are you part of the Hyakki Yakō?"

Rikuo looked at him in surprise. "Well, no. Not right now." He admittedly eventually, "Grandpa won't let me 'cause he said I'm too young."

"Rikuo is the grandson of the first Supreme Commander, and son of the Second, so he's the candidate for the title of Third." Zen added in.

Tsuna looked a little confused. "Supreme Commander? What's that? It sounds important."

"They're the leader of all the yōkai, the most strongest yōkai ever!" Rikuo proclaimed, puffing his chest out in pride. "They're the strongest and coolest! And that's what I'm gonna be one day!"

"That's so cool!" Tsuna said, smiling. "I'll follow you if you do! I'll be a part of your, um, Hyakki Yakō!"

Zen frowned thoughtfully at the brunet. "I'm not so sure about that."

"What? Why?" The boy pouted, "Is it because I'm not a yōkai? Then I'll be yōkai so I can follow Rikuo!"

"There's already so many yōkai followers, why don't you be the first human follower?" Rikuo suggested, "And then we'll make a whole bunch of humans to follow me and call me leader! It'll be cool!"

Zen coughed, catching both of their attentions. "I don't think Maman would appreciate that very much. She's been trying to keep Tsuna out of this his whole life."

"So?" Tsuna said, raising his chin defiantly at Zen. "Yōkai are cool! They have cool powers, and you and Rikuo are my friends."

"Well, you and Rikuo are also rivals for the position of Third." Zen said, feeling some satisfaction when both boys stared at him in shock.

Rikuo was first to speak, though there was some wonder in his features. "I never had a rival before."

Tsuna, on the other hand, was pale and starting to shake, looking like he wasn't exactly ecstatic to the idea. "But why? I don't want to become a leader! And I don't want to fight!"

"Well, you and Maman are related to Nurarihyon's side of the family. And from what I've heard, Maman is actually very strong." Zen said.

There was more silence as the boys took in the information. They were both aware that Nana could be scary when she was angered, but it had never crossed their minds that she could be a powerful yōkai. She normally just looked too kind and motherly to be a yōkai.

"Then is Mama going to be Third?" Tsuna asked, a little intimidated at the thought. Would his house become overridden with yōkai just like Rikuo? He'd never have a normal life if that happened.

Thankfully, Zen shook his head. "Maman wants you to be human, and you can't be that if you or she takes on the title. But then, it's really up to Nurarihyon on who his successor will be."

Tsuna looked just a tiny bit relieved, since he was still bewildered by the fact that Nana was a strong yōkai. On the other hand, Rikuo was looking at Tsuna with a thoughtful expression on his face. "What's the matter, Rikuo?" Zen asked.

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking." Rikuo said, still staring at Tsuna, who looked confused and just stared right back. "I'm supposed to become the next leader of yōkai, and Tsuna is supposed to become the leader of humans."

The other two was surprised about that, as they hadn't thought much about Tsuna's newfound position since the night before. "That's true." Zen said, "Pretty interesting how this turned out, actually."

Tsuna pouted. "How is this interesting? I don't want to lead a Mafia. They're bad people, right?"

Rikuo and Zen looked at him with a look of confusion. "Bad? What do you mean by that?" Rikuo asked.

"Well, I saw this movie on TV once. I don't really know what it was about, but it sort of sounded like what Mama was talking about. With families and stuff." Tsuna frowned. "They don't sound very nice, and a lot of people died."

Rikuo seemed to think about it, before his face brightened. "Then why don't you change it?"

Tsuna didn't seem to understand, though Zen seemed to catch on. "Yeah, if you're boss, you make the rules." Zen said, "So if you don't like it, change it."

"Really? I can do that?" Tsuna said, his eyes growing big again. He never knew bosses could do that! He turned to Rikuo. "Can Uncle really do that?"

Rikuo grinned. "Of course. He does it all the time, depends on what everyone does. Sometimes it's about the sake they drink, or maybe a part of the house they accidentally destroyed."

Now Tsuna was looking thoughtful, having never considered being a leader like that. Could he really change things like that? But all the people in that movie looked scary, and he didn't like to deal with scary people.

Zen suddenly squinted, pushing his head against Rikuo's. The boy started to sweat, fighting to urge to look away from Zen's deep red eyes. "W-What is it?" Rikuo stuttered, feeling a little panicked.

"Rikuo." Zen said lowly, though obviously irritated. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"What do you mean? I have school today!" Rikuo replied, laughing nervously. He took a hesitant step backwards to get some space away from the older yōkai. "Actually, I should really be getting—"

Zen caught the collar of Rikuo's kimono, preventing the boy from escaping. "You should be in bed if you're sick." He growled.

Tsuna turned to Rikuo, "Eh? You're sick, Rikuo? You should have said so!" He pouted, his cheeks puffing out as his brows furrowed adorably. He put his hands on his hips, and looked every bit like his mother did when she scolded others.

Although Rikuo was looking a bit pale, he shook his head, "No! I'm fine; it's just a light cold, really! Besides, I have a field trip today with my class, and I want to go!" He protested, trying to wriggle his way out of Zen's hold. Unfortunately, though the bird yōkai was quite weak, it was enough to keep a hold of a small human child.

"But Zeeeen!" Rikuo whined as he flailed his arms and legs to get out of Zen's grip. "I've had a cold before, it's not that bad!"

"There are others in your class too, Rikuo." Tsuna reminded him. "They might get sick too."

In a last ditch effort to escape and go on the field trip with his class, Rikuo resorted to using his sad puppy eyes. It was usually reserved when some yōkai was close to punishing him for pulling one prank too many, and it always worked on them.

He knew without checking that Tsuna would fall for it, but Zen was the one he really needed to convince. All the memories he had of when he got sick with Zen to treat him came to his mind, especially all the medicine that tasted absolutely disgusting, and he was sure that he was absolutely convinced that all the foul potions were making him even _sicker_ than he actually was.

Of course, it might have worked if it wasn't for the fact that Zen was dragging him by the collar with Tsuna trailing behind them as they set off to find Karasu to get Oboro-Guruma to come and take them to Zen's home to treat Rikuo's cold.

* * *

><p>"Why do I have to goooo…!" Rikuo whined, rolling about on the floor.<p>

Tsuna sat off to the side, away from the flailing limbs, watching his cousin awkwardly. Even though he found Rikuo to be really cool, and better than any human that he had ever known in his brief life, there were times when Rikuo became nothing more than a little brat.

"Stop pounding on the floor like that." Zen said, looking slightly annoyed as he put down some scrolls he had brought along with him. "It might distract Oboro-Guruma, and then who knows where we'll end up."

"And everyone said they were too busy to take care of you." Tsuna added, "Since there's a general meeting today. And Zen doesn't trust you."

Rikuo bolted upright, staring at Zen with something akin to horror and disappointment. "How can you say that, after all those years we've been together?"

Zen reached over and punched Rikuo's head with a deadpan expression before turning back to his scrolls. "You've been hanging around those sake parties too much." He said.

Rikuo pouted, but couldn't really deny it. It was the easiest way to get stories out of them, plus some of the more drunken ones gave him pretty good ideas for a prank for someone else in the house. He flopped back down, resuming his previous task of rolling around on the floor like a log in his childish protest.

The whole time he did that, Tsuna watched him with some sense of curiosity. He wanted to know why Rikuo wanted to go on the field trip with his classmates so badly. Whenever Tsuna had gone with his class, he'd be left behind, 'accidentally' pushed into some sort of dirty puddle and made the object of avoidance and derision for the rest of the trip, and various other things.

He supposed that it was maybe because Rikuo was different from him. He'd seen a bit of Rikuo's school from when one of his aides had taken him there after the brunet had begged them to. He seemed quite popular amongst the other children, and more athletic than average as well. He realized, with a bit of sadness, that Rikuo was everything that Tsuna was not.

But the boy had been nothing but sincere and kind to him ever since they had met, and had seemed excited at the prospect of another person who was part yōkai and part human like he was.

Though that still didn't smother the fact he wondered why Rikuo made such an effort for humans when he clearly favoured yōkai. After a few more minutes of silent debating, he finally voiced his question. "What's so special about this field trip?"

Turning to the other brunette in surprise, he had a look that seemed suspiciously like, 'How could you not know how super incredibly important this trip is!?' The kind of look that only a child of Tsuna and Rikuo's age could pull off so easily. Behind his scroll, Zen tuned in, curious to know why as well.

"Today's field trip was going to a mountain to study plants and stuff, since that's what we're learning in school right now. And Kana-chan promised that she would give me something special today!" Rikuo said, his face now saying, 'Do you understand what you're making me miss?'

Clearly, Tsuna didn't catch that since he went and asked, "Who is 'Kana-chan?' And why is this 'something special' so important?"

Not moving from behind his scroll, Zen replied, "Kana-san is a neighborhood friend of Rikuo's, as well as a childhood friend. As for that 'something special,' it's likely because they're close friends."

Tsuna shrank a little, playing with the sleeve of his kimono. "I wish I had a friend like that…" He mumbled so softly that the other two almost didn't catch it.

Feeling bad for his cousin, Rikuo shifted over to sit next to Tsuna. "Don't worry about it, Tsuna. Me and Zen like you lots!" He said, grinning at Zen. "Right?"

"It's 'Zen and I.'" The yōkai corrected. After a pause he added. "This Zen is sure that there will be others who will want to be friends with you in the future."

Tsuna snorted at that. "As if anyone would want to be friends with someone like 'Dame-Tsuna." He said dejectedly, laying down on his side. The two others noticed something like a cloud of gloom hovering over him.

"If anyone calls you that, this Zen will be sure to punish them." Zen vowed, putting away his scrolls and giving both boys his full attention. "That's what brothers do."

A fresh breeze pushed its way through the ox-cart yōkai, bringing with it the soft smell of blossoming flowers. It made the trio remember what they had come out for. The two younger boys were looking outside in amazement, Rikuo because he hadn't been out to the Zen sect for a while, and Tsuna because he'd never seen springtime on a mountain from the sky. It was a beautiful sight indeed, and even Zen looked around appreciatively as they continued their way through the skies.

The ancestral home of the Zen sect was older than the home of even Nurarihyon, their territory spread along several mountains. There had been human villages that came and went over the decades, but they rarely ever ventured into the mountains. There was a sense of age and dignity that the trees themselves seemed to carry, their branches having grown so closely together they had become irreversibly intertwined. The soft green light filtered by the leaves made the floating motes glow with an ethereal feel. There were no signs of humans anywhere, leaving the mountain with the fresh clean smell of new spring growth.

Tsuna was clearly amazed as he looked over the scene in awe, since the place looked like something straight out of a painting. "Hiieeee…" He breathed, stunned. "Places like this really exist…?"

Zen was staring at some birds who were staring back at the group with surprise when he heard the comment. He snorted. "Where else do you think we get all of our herbs? Humans can't grow any good ones."

Hearing Zen, Rikuo abruptly found he couldn't quite enjoy the view anymore. In fact, he could already taste the foul mixtures he was going to be forced to eat. He fought to keep himself from gagging; shooting a glare at Zen like it was his fault, which it partially was. The bird-yōkai remained ignorant of the murderous intent, his attention at his scrolls as he started putting them away for safekeeping while they went herb hunting. That had left Tsuna to remain where he was and continue to stare in wonder of the mountain they would shortly be walking on.

It took a little while longer than expected to find a suitable clearing. The one that Oboro-Guruma usually landed in had apparently been taken over by young seedlings, and Zen had refused to land on them and risk damaging them before knowing whether or not they were useful or needed to be pulled. Once it did, it had only stayed long enough to let them off before flying back to the Nura house. It knew the routine; drop of the healer and then come back in a couple of hours with a pot of tea. But seeing as there were two hyperactive brunets, it considered bringing some bandages as well.

"Right then," Zen said. "Now to search for some herbs to help Rikuo's fever go down."

Rikuo scrunched his nose, clearly disliking the idea. "Do we have to…?" He muttered, "It's just a cold after all."

The comment went ignored, as the trio stood in the middle of nowhere as they decided the best way to find the herbs that they needed. Zen was examining the area with a look of concentration, while Tsuna was looking around a little warily now that his amazement had passed. He kept jumping at every little shadow or rustle of leaves, and it was almost like his first day at the Nura house all over again. Without the fainting, of course.

"W-What k-kind of h-h-herbs are w-we l-looking f-for, Zen?" Tsuna stammered.

Zen silently counted to ten in his head before making a reply, willing himself to be patient. "Well, first we need some herbs to lower Rikuo's fever." He said, starting to walk off in seemingly random direction. "Come on, it's this way."

The younger pair hesitated for a moment, a little surprised when Zen boldly struck out. "Do you know where you're going?" Rikuo called out.

"Of course!" Zen replied. "I have the entire mountain memorized. It's where Yakuzen Hall is, after all."

Tsuna turned to Rikuo, looking more than a little confused. "Ya…kuzen… Hall…?" He asked hesitantly.

"That's the headquarters of the Yakushi Clan, and Zen's home." Rikuo explained. Suddenly, he had a look of realization on his face. "Zen, is this the mountain that you said was the one that had rare plants that you couldn't find in other places?"

"You're going to have to be more specific." Zen said dryly. There are plenty of rare herbs in our territory."

Rikuo looked a little flustered, trying to remember the name of the plant. "The… the one with the… umm… What's it called, Tsuna?"

"What?" Tsuna looked bewildered and confused. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know! The one with the thing!"

"You mean the little one?"

"Yeah, and it has this blue kind of thing attached."

"No, it's indigo, remember?"

Zen tuned out their conversation, not understanding at all what they were talking about. Was he like that when he was their age? God, he hoped not. He was sure his father would've chucked him out into the woods long ago.

After a few minutes of them arguing on how the plant looked like, Zen cleared his throat loudly enough to interrupt them. "What's the point about asking about whatever it is?"

His mind coming back to his original point, Rikuo became excited. "It's 'cause that's the plant we're studying in class right now! There are not many places with it growing, so this is where we're going! I'll be able to see Kana-chan and everyone!" He said, jumping up and down.

The other brunet blinked and began to edge away from the other. He was used to such behavior, but nevertheless perturbed. Finally, Rikuo's words processed through his brain and his eyes widened with surprise. "Your friends are coming here?" He asked.

Zen was surprised, knowing how rare it was for humans, especially children, to come up into the mountain. He frowned, knowing his father would disapprove humans stomping their way around the mountain, but he supposed he would let it slide this time, if only because they were Rikuo's friends. "I suppose it's alright, as long as they don't litter. Now hurry up, it won't matter if they're coming if you're still sick, Rikuo."

Rikuo nodded, a little more willing to follow Zen now that he knew his class would be nearby. Maybe if he was lucky, he could sneak away to meet up with them!

With that plan in mind, the trio continued their trek through the mountain in search of herbs.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N : Updated this one as well; hopefully it's better than the previous version.

* * *

><p>"How much longer am I supposed to keep digging? I'm supposed to be <em>sick<em>, aren't I?"

Zen, standing not too far away, caught the remark and sent Rikuo an angry scowl. "Just shut up and keeping harvesting." He said, turning away. It had taken a little more time than Zen had planned, but they had finally stumbled on the area where the plants Rikuo needed grew. All three of them had been harvesting whatever they needed under Zen's critical eye, which wouldn't be necessary if not for the fact there were many look-alike plants in the mix.

"Aye aye, sir." Rikuo said, rolling his eyes and turning his back when Zen's bulging eyes whipped around to glare at him. His hands had ended up scratched and smeared with dirt from digging up the roots of the plants. With the labour, coupled with his light fever, he was feeling a little dizzier than he had that morning. It was making him a little more testy than usual, his face was now wearing a scowl.

Surprisingly, Tsuna was dealing with the work best amongst the three. Though he'd never done this kind of thing before, he found he didn't mind it as much as he thought he would. Although he had angry red scratches going all the way up to his elbows, with his face covered in a mixture of sweat, dirt and flower pollen, he was still somehow having fun.

He was pushing aside a bunch of green plants when a small yellow puffball caught his attention. He couldn't remember if this was one of the plants they were looking for, or just a weed. He bit his lip, his eyes flicking up to Zen. Tsuna was considering asking, but the he looked about ready to snap. There were a few too many other reasons why he shouldn't be asking, but he still felt that made he should.

"U-Um!" Tsuna shrank back slightly at the withering stares he got from both Rikuo and Zen. He want to back down and just pretend that never happened, but something was keeping him standing there. He stood there for a long moment, debating whether this had been a good idea or not.

"Well? What is it?"

Tsuna blinked, startled out of his thoughts. Before he knew what he was doing, his arm holding the plant went up and he asked, "D-Do we… need this?"

There was a long pause before Rikuo said exasperatedly, "That's a _weed,_ Tsuna. What could we possibly do with that?"

"No, that might be useful." Zen said, shooting Rikuo a glare as he picked his way over to Tsuna. "Hm… This variety shouldn't be growing for another few months. Where did you find this?"

Eager to share his findings, Tsuna pointed at the spot he had been digging. "Over there! There's lots of them!"

The two made their way over to the location, with Zen saying, "If the ground's soft, we can dig up the roots too. Good job, Tsuna, I needed some of those too."

While the two of them were distracted, Rikuo sat back on his heels with a huff. In truth, he was aware he didn't really need the herbs. Whenever he got sick, he had always been able to get better much faster than other children his age, and he was sure that this time would be the same. His fever was already fading, so once he took a nap, he was sure that he'd be just fine. He was only going along with this just because Zen would throw a fit otherwise.

He idly wandered around, making sure to keep Zen and Rikuo in his sight. His legs were starting to tingle from crouching for so long, so he felt glad to be moving around. He didn't want to go too far though, just in case Zen noticed. They were pretty much stranded on the mountain, and Rikuo didn't know the place well enough to find Yakuzen Hall by himself.

He walked over to the edge of a cliff nearby, taking a seat as his legs dangled over the edge. The air was nice, and it relaxed Rikuo a bit. It was a nice view, seeing the opposing mountain and the blue sky above it. There were some birds flying, and he could hear the calls of some animals as well. But he found himself a bit restless, though he wasn't sure why. There was this sort of feeling that there was something not quite right with the scenery, but he wasn't too sure why. It seemed normal enough.

A soft babble made its way into his ears, which he was surprised of. Had there always been a small stream nearby? Well, it was probably of the melting snow higher up in the mountain. There had to be something to making the plants grow so well. But when the babble starting growing louder, he realized that couldn't be right. There shouldn't be a way for a stream to grow louder like that, not so suddenly anyways. He strained his ears to catch the noise, trying to identify where it was coming from.

The sound of the high-pitched laughter of children sounded noisy in the quiet mountain, and it had startled many of the birds out of the trees. Surprised, Rikuo looked down to see the cause of the disturbance. Could it be…?

At first he saw nothing but the greenery smothering the mountain. But then his sharp eyes noticed a moving group of colors, some blond, some black, others brown. It was a bit, as he'd never heard of a yōkai looking like that. Was it a part of the Nura group? But when he squinted at it, he realized it wasn't a yōkai at all. It was a group of humans making their way up the mountain! Closer observation quickly pointed Kana out, some hair tied up at the side of her head like usual. She was chatting happily with some of the other girls in their class as their heads bobbed in and out of view of the trees.

Forgetting completely about Zen and Tsuna behind him digging for dandelion roots, he got up and started his way down to where they were. He probably could have climbed down the cliff face, but his hands were still stinging from the scratches, and he didn't really have the patience to look for footholds. He dashed through the woods, doing his best to avoid the plants and roots in his way. He quickly gave up when he found it was taking too much time to avoid them, and just ran right through them. He'd just have to give Zen an apology later if he found out.

He'd nearly reached them, and was only a few metres away from where they were walking. Wanting to make a dramatic entrance, he put on a burst of speed so he could jump out and surprise the group.

Unfortunately, his foot got caught on a hidden root, and he instead tripped and fell flat on his face in front of everyone.

There was a pregnant pause as everyone just stared at Rikuo, and Rikuo was fighting the blush that was trying to make its way onto his face. When he was sure that at least most of the blush was gone, he raised his head and gave the stunned group a cheery smile. "Hey, guys!"

"Rikuo-kun?" Kana gasped, rushing from the stunned group to help Rikuo stand. She brushed the dirt from his kimono, fussing over him. "Are you ok? You should be more careful running around like that! You could've gotten hurt!"

There were a few snickers from some boys, who whispered to each other about how much of a mother hen Kana was acting like. A quick glare from the girl silenced them instantly, though Rikuo was oblivious to this.

"Thanks, Kana-chan!" Rikuo said brightly. The girl just frowned, giving him a slightly wary look.

Their homeroom teacher had arrived, coming to investigate what was causing such a fuss. "What's going on here?" She said before catching sight of Rikuo. She looked confused. "Nura-kun? What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at home, sick?"

"Oh, good morning, Sensei!" Rikuo said, bowing. "I'm still sick, so I came here to get some medicine!"

"Medicine." She repeated doubtfully. What person in the right mind would want to live in the middle of nowhere like this? Besides, there were many rumours of strange noises in the night. "Out here?"

"Well, I guess it's more like herbs."

The teacher sighed and shook her head, more than used to Rikuo's strange stories and explanations. "Alright, Nura-kun. Just line up with the others and we'll continue going up the mountain. We still have a bit to go before we reach the clearing for lunch." She said, turning to lead the class through the forest.

Rikuo was about to follow after he when he realized that some of the other children were looking at something behind him. He turned around, but saw that some of the kids standing behind him were looking in his direction as well. Turning to Kana, he saw she was still giving him a wary look. "What's the matter?"

Kana blinked and tilted her head to the side inquisitively. "How come you're wearing your kimono out here?"

"What do you mean 'out here'?" Rikuo asked, not quite understanding.

"I've only ever seen you wear that at home." Kana said, staring at his kimono thoughtfully. "And we're not at your house."

Rikuo shrugged, still not seeing how it was weird. "Well, I guess it's 'cause I come here so much. It's not weird, is it?"

Kana shook her head and opened her mouth to reply, but closed it. She wasn't too sure how to say it. There weren't too many kids around who wore kimonos still, since those were usually the rich, old, and traditional families. Although Kana wasn't too sure about Rikuo's family, she was sure that they were at least somewhat traditional. "Well, it's not weird but…"

"But what?" Rikuo asked when she hesitated. There was a strangely eager look about him, though Kana didn't quite know why that was.

"When you dress up like that, you really look like a young master."

Rikuo looked really proud at that, for some real reason. He drew himself up, puffing out his chest. "Of course! My grandpa is the Supreme Leader of yōkai, you know!"

"You're not going to start talking about all those yōkai that you supposedly live with, are you?" Kana sighed.

Rikuo huffed in reply. "What do you mean, 'supposedly?' I really do live with yōkai!"

Shaking her head with a sigh, Kana moved to follow after their class, who had already started moving with the teacher while the two had stood there talking. "Okay, okay. Just don't show them to me. You know that kind of stuff scares me."

The pair ran to catch up to the others, managing to reach the very end of the group, which was mainly a bunch of kids listening to Kiyotsugu. "…for the presentation."

"Uwaah, that's so cool! Only someone like Kiyotsugu-kun could come up with something like that!"

"As expected of the boy who has everything!"

Kiyotsugu laughed, his voice ringing out into the quiet air. "It's all about connections. With my family's wealth, I can get all the information that I need! Hardly difficult for someone like me."

Rikuo was looking a little confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, Nura-kun!" Jirō said as the group turned to them. "We were just talking about the presentations we're doing tomorrow."

Tomorrow… tomorrow… did they have something like that they were supposed to do? Rikuo didn't remember anything like that. "Really? When did she say that?"

"Sensei gave it to us last week. Did you forget already? I've been reminding you all week!" Kana scolded him.

"Don't forget that you even volunteered to go first!" Natsumi added.

Rikuo hummed and put his arms behind his head as he continued to walk. "I did? I guess I'll just have to come up with something when I go home!" He laughed.

The group giggled and turned back to Kiyotsugu, who continued telling them about his presentation that he was going to do tomorrow. Rikuo didn't pay any attention to it, since he was busy thinking up what to do for tomorrow's presentation that would be really amazing. Maybe he could do one on the yōkai at home.

He suddenly noticed that it wasn't as bright as it had been before. The air around them was dark, though it wasn't that cold. It confused Rikuo, since he clearly remembered leaving for the mountain that morning, and that they had arrived somewhere around noon. "Eh? Was it this dark before?" He said, attempting to look for the sun.

Kana covered his eyes before he could accidentally blind himself. "Don't you remember? There's supposed to be a solar eclipse today!"

"Wasn't it supposed to be tomorrow?" Rikuo said, mentally counting back the days. "It's Wednesday today, right?"

"No, it's Thursday." Kana said with a frown. "You should be sleeping if you can't even get the days right."

Rikuo gave her a cheeky grin. "And where'd be the fun in that? Everyone'd miss me too much if I did!"

"Just make sure you take care of yourself, too." Kana said with a sigh, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Looking the partially darkened area, Rikuo frowned. "But you know, it's not very dark for an eclipse. I thought it'd be like at night."

"Don't you know?" Kiyotsugu's ringing voice echoed in their ears. They turned at the accompanying laughter to see Kiyotsugu, Jirō, Natsumi and Saori standing behind them.

"Geeze, Nura-kun. How can you not know something as basic as that? It's a wonder how you manage to get above average marks in school." Saori said, looking at Rikuo in annoyance.

Rikuo shrugged easily with a smile. "It's not something I really need to know. Why do I need to remember it?"

"Well, I'll tell you about it." Kiyotsugu said, waving his hands about with flourish.

Jirō clapped his hands excitedly, "Yes, share with us your knowledge, Kiyotsugu-kun!" He said, as tears ran down his cheeks and if there were sparkles falling, that was _exactly_ where they would be at that moment.

"Hmph." Kiyotsugu said, brushing his hair back with a flick, and an arrogant smirk on his face. "An eclipse occurs when the moon moves in a circuit around the Earth, as you should know. Right now, the eclipse is occurring. For seven minutes, the moon will travel in front of the sun and will then continue on their way for another half year when the next eclipse will occur somewhere. So pretty soon, the sun will disappear and this entire wooded area will be dark for a few minutes."

Kana blinked. "Did you memorize that out of the textbook?"

"No, it's an important part of my presentation tomorrow. Weren't you paying attention earlier?" Kiyotsugu said with a frown. "It's a key part of proving that—"

He was cut up by a loud scream coming from the front of the group, specifically, their homeroom teacher. She had fallen backwards with several of the children quivering behind her, tears forming in their eyes. "W-What's going on?" She stammered out, her body completely frozen as she stared in horror at the _thing_ in front of them.

There was a large group of what, at first glance, appeared to be nothing but old trees blocking their way. Unlike all the other trees around them, these ones were withered and appeared to be dead. Their bark was gnarled and riddled with holes, and there was moss and lichen tucked in some pockets. Long bare branches stretched and hung down forlornly, like a giant hand. They weren't very large, but the length of the branches seemed to compensate for it.

Rikuo didn't know what they were so scared of, until he realized that the tree was _moving_. And even more than that, there were two glowing red eyes from within the tree. It was then he also noticed that he could make out something grossly resembling a human face that looked almost carved into the wood. It was twisted into some perverse sort of malicious glee, delighted in how much terror they had made by simply appearing.

"Oh?" The largest tree spoke, its voice sounding like the crackle of dry leaves and sickening crunches of wood. There was a large pile of dead vegetation on the top of its head, decorated with the skulls of various animals. A large hole in the truck groaned as it moved, revealing sharp points for teeth. "A bunch of human children and a woman, hm? It's been a while since we had such a delicacy."

Nobody did anything, most of them paralyzed by terror. There was even a pungent smell in the air as several of them wet themselves. Kana was hiding behind Rikuo, holding his arm in an iron tight gip that turned her knuckles white from the force. Rikuo didn't seem to notice, absent-mindedly stroking her head as he look at the trees with a contemplative look on his face.

"Haha! Look at that!" One said delightedly, "Absolutely terrified! Oh, I've missed this. Let's dig in."

"Hold it!" The leader said, a long branch suddenly shooting out and grasping the smaller one easily. The tree groaned at the tight grip. "We have to _savour_ them. It's been a long time since we had such a large meal like this."

The tree in the leader's grip wriggled slightly, causing some bits of bark to break off. "But Jyu-sama, it's been so long! How can we hold ourselves back from fresh blood?"

"Well, capture them first then!" Jyu said, releasing his hold. "We can decide what to do after that."

The rest of the tree start moving, their roots writhing like worms as they laboriously pulled the trees through the earth. The ground was churned up like water, destroying the plants before them. The long branches wove together as they got closer, scooping up a few of the children in the makeshift net. Many of the children had passed out from sheer terror, and the rest of them were desperately clutching each other for support.

They were easy pickings as the trees picked up the children and teacher, tossing them carelessly into the makeshift net.

Soon, the only ones left were Rikuo, Kana, Kiyotsugu, Jirō, Natsumi, and Saori as the group huddled together, trying to make themselves as small as possible. The girls were terrified out of their minds, so dangerously close to fainting that it was a wonder how they were still conscious. Jirō was only kept awake by the pain of two girls clutching his arms in a death grip, and was sure that all the blood was being cut off from his hands. Kiyotsugu was staring at the yōkai with wide, terror-filled eyes, muttering things to himself that no one paid attention to.

Rikuo was the only one who didn't show any signs of fear. He looked calm, almost calculating as he watched the trees come closer. He carefully pried Kana's bone white fingers from his arm, gently pushing her toward the others. She didn't seem to notice, as she had her eyes closed tight and she chanting something under her breath. He stepped forward, almost like a barrier between the trees and the rest of the children.

The trees stopped short of him, staring at him with curiosity. "What's this?" One of them said, "Someone who's not afraid? We must not be using enough **Fear**."

"Who are you?" Rikuo asked, his voice full of authority. "Yōkai of the Yakushi clan?"

"Ohoho!" They barked, turning around to look at their leader. "Jyu-sama! One of them knows about yōkai!"

"Is that so?" Jyu said, coming forward and uprooting a few trees in the process. "How rare! I didn't think humans believed in yōkai anymore." He stopped in front of Rikuo. "How interesting. He doesn't even look nervous."

Rikuo's eyes narrowed. Although he couldn't use **Fear** himself, with him being a human and all, but he had lived with yōkai enough to be able to tell their intentions. And theirs was anything but good for them. "Which group are you a part of?"

Jyu peered closer at Rikuo. "And what makes you think we're a part of any group? What does a human like you know about us?"

"I know enough to know this is the Yakushi clan territory." Rikuo said, and his tone became disapproving. "And that you're not a part of them."

The great tree yōkai stared at Rikuo for a moment longer before laughing. "You know more than the average human." He said at last, looking amused. "I didn't think there'd be any like you anymore."

"I've been around yōkai all my life. I know how to deal with them." Rikuo replied coolly.

Jyu's eye slits narrowed, now suspicious of Rikuo. "Who are you, boy? What are you doing here?"

Rikuo smirked as the moon slid into place in front of the sun, effectively cutting off all the sunlight on the mountain. "Who am I? That's a rude thing to say to your future leader."

Kana and the others blinked as they eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, while the yōkai had no such problems. The night was their domain, so their vision actually improved with the darkness.

And it was in that darkness they saw a transformation before their eyes.

The boy that had been standing before them looked drastically different. His eyes were narrow and his red eyes seemed to glow in the dark. His hair had grown longer, protruding out the back of his head, the top half white and the bottom half black.

But the most obvious difference was the presence of **Fear** that the boy was carrying.

Several of the other tree yōkai cowered, confused by the sudden change. They murmured to each other, which was quickly stopped when Jyu picked up the closest tree yōkai and crushed it with his branch. The yōkai gave a horrid shriek, as there was a sickening snap of its body breaking in two, before Jyu threw the body to the side.

"What do you think you're doing?" The boy said, his deep voice carrying a hint of underlying anger. "Isn't he a part of your Hyakki Yakō?"

"Weak saplings like these?" Jyu retorted, thrashing his branches. Many of them pierced the tree yōkai around him. "It's simple to pick them up and get them to follow me. It's a do or die. See?"

One of Jyu's limbs that had undoubtedly been aiming to make an example of a stout yet obviously young yōkai was quickly sliced cleanly through. All the yōkai stared at the decapitated branch, seemingly unable to process what had just happened.

By this point, Saori, Natsumi, Jirō and Kana had all passed out from the amount of tension and stress they were going through. Kiyotsugu was the only one left awake amongst the humans to watch with wide eyes, what was exactly going on. He had fallen backwards out of fear, but that fear had also left him paralyzed in place. He didn't really see what was going on, with him being scared out of his mind at the moment, along with the darkness accompanying the eclipse. But he could tell that the moving trees were still there, along with the mysterious figure he didn't recognize.

"For a leader, you're really weak." The boy said nonchalantly as he bounced the cut branch in his hand.

Jyu's red eyes glowed like burning coal when he realized what had happened, the bark groaning against each other as he ground his teeth together. "You impudent brat, how dare you cut my branches." He snarled, his remaining limbs waving wildly in the air as if there was a strong wind blowing through them. "Who are you? Speak now, and I'll kill you quickly!"

The boy's head tilted to the side, the back of the sword tapping his shoulder lightly as he regarded the tree yōkai. "I don't recognize you, so you're not a big shot yōkai." He said, his eyes going from one yōkai to the next. And you don't seem to recognize me, so you're not with the Nura group either."

"Damn, you're from the Nura group? What's one of you doing out in the middle of nowhere like this?" Jyu hissed. He tried to remember who this boy was, since he was sure that someone with a **Fear** like this boy couldn't slip around anonymously. But it was hard to tell when he couldn't even identify the type of **Fear **the boy was using.

"Jyu-sama, do you know who this is?" One of the smaller subordinates whispered, "This is just a brat, isn't it?"

It took about a minute for Jyu to realize what the yōkai had said. He'd been getting worried and frantic just trying to figure out who the boy was, just because he had mentioned the Nura clan. Any yōkai knew who the Nura clan was, and was well aware of how powerful they had been years ago when they still had their leader.

But then, that had been years ago when the Second was still alive. Now, they were a mere shadow of their past self.

That had been why he had come onto the mountain in the first place. There was no way there was anyone strong who would come out here to visit the Yakushi group, and the leader was weak himself, and could be easily taken cared of. Once he was eliminated, then they could take control of the territory, and start building their own Hyakki Yakō and then take leadership of all yōkai.

"That's right… just a brat. Heh, I'm almost impressed at how much **Fear** you got, brat." Jyu said, his face twisted in an evil grin. "Maybe I'll give you the honour of being last to be eaten, and you'll be trembling with fright! Hahaha!"

The boy looked at them almost bored, infuriating Jyu. "I don't feel like it. I was only supposed to come up here for medicine, and what do I find? Yōkai attacking children." He tsked, and pointed his sword directly between Jyu's eyes. "You take pleasure in frightening them? Is that something you take pride in?"

Jyu knocked the blade away, ignoring the slight trembling in his hand. "What would you know about scaring humans? That **Fear** you have is nothing but a bluff, it'd be nothing against mine!"

"Is that right? Then why don't we test that theory then?" The boy said, his grip around the handle of the sword tightening.

Though he was sure he could take the boy on himself, Jyu had lived for more than a hundred years. Yōkai don't last that long without being cautious, or having good back up. Jyu lived on instinct, and it had helped him know when to fight or flee. And at the moment, that very instinct seemed to be warning him against fighting the boy while he wielded that sword. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but there was a feeling of wrongness he was getting from the blade, something that he shouldn't get in contact with.

He decided that the best way to verify this would be if he sent his underlings in. Even if they all got killed, as long as he got away, he could amass more followers very quickly. "You guys get in there and get rid of him!" He ordered.

The yōkai didn't hesitate as they charged forward, the ground churning like boiling water as they moved. In the darkness the numerous pairs of red eyes glittered in excitement as the went in for the kill, the shadow of their branches twisting around them as they closed in…

And then they suddenly stopped, so abruptly that some of the yōkai in the back crashed into those in front of them.

"What's the hold up? I said kill him!" Jyu said, feeling more than a little anxious at how much time it was taking to kill a mere child. "Hurry up!"

"I don't think that'll be possible," A voice said from up in his branches, "since they're all dead now."

"What?! Don't talk nonsense, you're all still standing—" He was cut off from the sound of wood groaning and creaking, accompanied by the sound of trees falling over each other. Jyu watched with some amazement as his entire Hyakki Yakō died in less than a minute.

The voice came again, still up in his branches. "You were saying?"

Jyu looked up to see the boy leaning casually against a branch, an infuriating smirk back on his face. The sword was nowhere in sight, though it somehow didn't make the tree yōkai feel any better about it. The confidence that Jyu initially had was fading fast, and it was being replaced with cold, hard panic.

"W-Wait! We can make out a deal, can't we? I… I'll let you kill the children instead!" Jyu bargained hoping to get a chance to get away.

The boy looked off to the side at the yōkai who still kept most of the class and the teacher trapped in a wooden cage. They were still unconscious, were a few minor cuts hat a few bandages couldn't fix. Off to the side, Kiyotsugu was watching him with wide eyes. The rest were unconscious, and the boy doubted they had been injured since he had taken out most of the yōkai. "I would've let you off, except you decided to attack and kill these people. People who can't do anything."

"And that's what makes them such a delight to kill! All yōkai enjoy the expression of fear on their victims faces, you should know it too!" Jyu said, his tone pleading now. "It's the nature of yōkai!"

"True, yōkai have existed since ancient times to scare humans. Gramps has told me much about it." The boy said thoughtfully, lighting some hope in Jyu. However, the feeling of pain that he felt as a large number of his branches was cut immediately crushed it. "But then you attacked them. You call yourself a leader, but you're actually cowardly, aren't you? You're even willing to abandon your underlings to save yourself."

Jyu didn't even bother to reply as terror completely filled him, and he frantically tried to find a way to escape. He didn't get very far as the sword suddenly pierced his body, the tip of the blade coming out of his face. The boy completely slashed him in half, and he screamed in pain as the blade's power did its work.

The boy gave a sniff in disdain as the yōkai perished, swinging his sword toward the grass to remove the pieces of pulp and wood chips from the blade before sheathing it. "You should know that in our world, that type of yōkai is the least fearsome." He said before turning to look at Kiyotsugu. "Ah, Kiyotsugu. Still awake? Sorry for putting you through that, are you all right?"

The eclipse was starting to end, and a little sliver of sunlight made it's way back onto the mountain. The small amount of light allowed Kiyotsugu to see his, and his classes', saviour a little. He could make out the small figure dressed in a black kimono and the striking, long hair protruding from the back of his head. But the trait that Kiyotsugu knew he would not forget no matter how many years went, pair of red eyes staring at him. They appeared to be so confident, so mature; it seemed perfect for someone as a true leader. "I, er, um," He stammered, trying to string together a coherent sentence. The tension and excitement caught up with him now that the danger was over, and he could feel himself going faint. He fought to stay awake, even as the boy was watching him with amusement. But he eventually fell backwards amongst the rest of his friends, murmuring, "Lord of the Night…"


	7. Chapter 6

_At the same time, with Tsuna and Zen_

"Zen… don't you think we've gathered enough dandelion roots? I'm pretty sure we have enough to stuff the whole main house with them…" Tsuna said as he stared at an alarming amount of dandelion parts sitting in a pile beside him.

The bird yōkai scratched his head. He hadn't been paying attention to how much they had been gathering, more intent on gathering as much herbs as possible for storage in case they might need them in the future. It also helped that they didn't taste particularly bad when brewed and served with tea; which Zen felt would be good for when he got home. "Well... Maybe we _did_ go a little overboard… At least there are three of us here to bring it all back to the main house, ne... Rikuo?" Zen said, looking around to find said brunette. "Rikuo?" He called when he didn't reply.

"Eh? Rikuo's gone?" Tsuna said, looking around as well, but the small brown haired boy with his red cloak was nowhere to be seen.

Zen scowled, "Damn it! I thought I told him not to wander away somewhere!" He turned to Tsuna and gave him the angriest stare he could muster. "Tsuna! You _will_ stay here while I go find Rikuo. And if I come back only to find you gone…" He left his sentence unfinished as he glared at the boy to make sure he understood.

No other threat was necessary as the boy was easily intimidated by Zen. He gave a timid nod, afraid that his voice would squeak if he spoke, and sat huddled on the ground as he watch the khaki haired yōkai disappear through the trees in a murderous mood. He pitied Rikuo; the other boy was going to get a severe scolding when Zen found him.

Not long after Zen left, Tsuna started to become bored. Even if he didn't act much like other children, he still had that low attention span that was especially prominent in young boys and girls like him. Forgetting Zen's stern warning, he started to wander around as Rikuo had, and decided to search for more herbs that Zen might need as well. With that goal in mind, he headed off in a different direction than Zen had, easily picking his way due to his small size.

Midway through going through a bush, Tsuna tripped on a rock that was hidden by the long blades of grass and fell with a small yelp on a nearby bush. Thankfully, the bush didn't have animals or prickly thorns on it, so the young boy wasn't harmed. But as he moved to get up, he felt a poke from his side, and reached into his kimono to find the offending object. He pulled out the wakizashi that Nurarihyon had given to the boy when Tsuna had told him and his mother that he was going up to the mountain with Zen and Rikuo to fetch herbs to cure Rikuo's illness. He looked at the blade in awe, as Nana had always been sure to keep all potentially dangerous weapons that the small eight years old could run into away from his short reach. When Nurarihyon had offered the deadly blade to Tsuna, Nana had nearly exploded at the thought of her son wielding a weapon that would me more likely to cut off his arm than even get a scratch on an enemy. After a short rant that nearly made Nurarihyon disappear in order to escape if Nana hadn't caught him, the old yōkai grumbled and pulled at the sageo that was wrapped around the tsuba. He wrapped it around the tsuba securely, sealing off the deadly edge.

Now that he had the opportunity to examine the blade more closely, he rubbed his stubby finger across the fabric. He briefly wondered if he could tear the cloth off, since it appeared rather fragile. Taking a nearby stick, he dug it into the sageo, attempting to rip it off. He was surprised to find that the sageo seemed to warp itself around the stick, unwilling to be taken away from its position. Jabbing at the resisting cloth a little harder, he soon found that the cloth was stronger than he had anticipated. He pouted at it, unhappy that the cloth didn't even budge a milometer. In fact, it didn't even look like Tsuna had been attempting to remove the cloth at all. Running his hand over the sageo once again, he marveled at the soft and smooth touch of the mysterious material. He wasn't familiar with the cloth, but he had a feeling that a yōkai had a hand in making it. He wouldn't be surprised at all if a yōkai _was_ the one who forged it. There were all types of jobs within the Nura clan.

As he walked, he held the weapon in front of him, and swung it back and forth a bit. Though the blade was sealed away, the polished wood that was fire hardened was strong enough to give a good whack on the head if Tsuna needed to defend himself, and he didn't hit himself first. It wasn't a particularly long blade since it was a wakizashi, but to Tsuna, it felt as long as a katana due to his short height. He knew from lifting other swords he found around the main house that most of the swords were too heavy for him to proficiently wield, yet this one was light and still held the perfect balance for him; almost as though it had been made for him. The tsuka was sized just long enough for him to fit both of his small hands onto it, and the wrapping was soft and slightly spongy, yet allowed him to keep a firm grip on the weapon. The saya for the blade held patterns of flames that ran down its length, and instead of the basic orange flame that Tsuna usually saw, the flames were of a rainbow hue; containing the seven colors that blended together. A band of gold ran just under the sageo, and an imprint of the emblem for 'fear' was stamped neatly onto the soft metal. Satisfied with his inspection, Tsuna tucked the weapon back into his kimono let the tsuka peek out slightly so he could easily pull out the wakizashi if he needed to.

Tsuna suddenly realized that the forest had become a little darker than it had been when they first arrived, yet he was sure that it was still morning. He looked up at the sky through the bare branches to check if there was a large dark cloud coming. Spring had arrived not that long ago, which meant that it was currently the rainy season. It wouldn't be surprising if a large raincloud suddenly formed and decided to pour over the already damp mountain. As soon as his chocolate brown eyes met the sun, Tsuna regretted it. He instantly shut his eyes with a groan, and put his fists over them in an effort to rub out the burning after image of the sun behind his eyelids. He realized after a moment of agonizing pain that the afterimage didn't show just one circle, there were _two_ circles up in the sky. He knew that one was the sun, as the image imprinted on his eyes showed the large circle that had small flares from it. But the other circle, smaller and much darker than the other, he could not identify.

Upon this realization, he straightened and looked in front of him in surprise. He had never seen such a thing before, and he almost looked back up at the sky before remembering what would happen if he did, and snapped his head back down to look at the grass between his feet. "Maybe Zen would know what it is…" He murmured, as he thought of the wise yōkai. He knew a lot of things about plants, so maybe he would know what happened to the sun as well. He decided he would go to find Zen and find out what the mysterious dark circle in the sky was, before confidently set off in a direction completely off from where Zen actually was. It was at times like these, it was truly regretful that the boy had no sense of direction nor the sense to pay attention when he was in school.

Fortunately for him, he didn't get very far when a twig snapped over to his right, and Tsuna whipped his head in the direction of the sound and mop of silver hair filled his vision before the other person collided with him. They both fell with a scream, though the other person quickly clamped his hand over Tsuna's to shut him up as he looked around in fear. Seeing as there was no movement, the person glared at Tsuna and hissed, "Don't make a sound! If she finds us, we're dead!"

"U-Us? W-Who is 's-she'?" Tsuna whimpered as his stutter appeared yet again with the appearance of a stranger and the threat of being killed by another stranger.

"My older sister." The other replied, getting off of Tsuna and looking around as he surveyed the area cautiously. Now that the person was off of him, Tsuna got a good look at the silver haired stranger. He was surprised to see it was actually a boy that appeared to be the same age as him, though his clothing seemed more like a suit that belonged to those of a rich family. He guessed that this boy was playing with his sister, since most other children with sibling acted in a similar way in Tsuna's primary school. Still, he found it rather strange for the two to decide to play in such an isolate area such as the mountain they were in.

Tsuna decided to ask the boy, seeing as Rikuo was always encouraging him to be more open to others and make new friends. "W-Why are y-you p-playing in t-the f-forest?" He asked, trying to calm his stutter and failing.

The boy turned around and stared at Tsuna as if he had two heads, and whispered harshly, "Do you think I'm playing a game? I'm serious, if my sister finds us—" He didn't get to finish as the tree he was standing next to suddenly turned purple and began sinking, and the smell of decay and other foul substances hit Tsuna's nose and caused him to nearly hurl his breakfast onto the ground.

"Damn! She found us!" The boy cried and grabbed the poor tuna fish's hand as they ran away from the melting tree and deeper into the forest. "We have to hide!" He said, looking around frantically for a hiding spot to wait until his sister was gone.

Tsuna was huffing as he ran, since he was still not used to such vigorous exercise that the other seems to be able to do. He did his best to keep up with him, but nearly collapsed as the silver-haired child stopped to investigate a large bush. After deeming the bush large enough to hide in without being, seen, the boy nodded once before shoved Tsuna into it. "This is good enough; get in and don't make a sound!" He said before diving in himself.

As soon as the silver-haired boy disappeared into their hiding spot, a girl emerged through some trees carrying plates of some sort of substance that Tsuna didn't know. His stomach started feeling slightly queasy at the sight of the melting… thing… and the dangerous fumes that was emitted from it, turning the new buds forming on the branches above to instantly turn brown and fall like a stone. If that didn't scream dangerous already, Tsuna wasn't sure what would.

On the other hand, the girl didn't look nearly as dangerous as whatever it was she was carrying with her. She didn't look like her silver haired little brother, and looked around to be the same age as Zen, appearance-wise of course. Her long reddish-pink hair looked clean and fresh, and very cared for as well. Unlike her brother, whose clothing was mussed after running through the forest, her own uniquely designed dress was clean tidy. Tsuna noted that it also seemed to belong to a rich family, with intricate and complicated designs in the fabric. There were symbols that were hidden behind the designs, but Tsuna didn't recognize them. Her face held an innocent expression, as if she wasn't hunting for her brother with the 'weapon' in her hands.

"Hayato~? Where are you? Father will be angry if you disappear you know~... Besides, I have some new cooking for you to try!" The girl called out to the boy Tsuna now identified as Hayato.

The boy, Hayato, was starting to look sick as he warily watched his sister from their hiding place in the bush. From the terrified expression on his face, Tsuna could tell that he didn't want the girl to find them. Seeing the growing amount of dead vegetations and insects on the ground around her, Tsuna was wishing for that as well. The boy's feeling of dread slowly grew as the girl drew closer to their hiding place, plates of cooking in each hand. The girl stopped in front of the boy's faces, and they held their breath and clamped both hands over their noses so s he wouldn't hear them breathing. Their hearts stopped as they heard the sound of clinking together, and watched in terror as a perfectly manicured hand inched closer to part the leaves in front of their horror-stricken faces. Just as the pink nail polished fingers with the scorpion designs on them touched the broad leaf, a rustling noise came from between some small trees, stopping the hand a hair raising two inches away from their faces. The boys could only thank their luck at the distraction, and didn't dare breathe because of two reasons; the wind was blowing in their direction, and they didn't want to attract the girl's attention back to the bush.

Instead of an animal like Tsuna and Hayato thought it would be, they were surprised to see a man emerge from the trees. That man wore a formal suit that seemed expensive and a pair of sunglasses. Tsuna couldn't help but wonder why anyone would wear sunglasses right now, since it was rather dark around them, and something like sunglasses would just make it hard to see your way around the forest. He was brought out of his thoughts when the man's high and nasal voice spoke once he noticed the girl. Tsuna strained his ears to hear, but found it didn't matter since he couldn't understand due to the language not being Japanese. He'd never heard it before, so he didn't understand what the man said. Apparently, Hayato's sister did as she replied in the same language to whatever the man in the suit had said. Before either boy could do anything, the man had already whipped out a gun from within his suit, aimed straight at the girl with a blank expression on his face.

Tsuna held a fist against his mouth to keep himself from making a sound, and Hayato was cursing under his breath as he knew what situation they were in. Hayato fingered some dynamites he had in his pockets, given to him by a man who called himself a doctor. He wasn't that skilled at using even the basic explosives yet, but he didn't want to see his sister hurt, even if she almost killed him every time she fed him her cooking. Then again... As he looked out of the corner of his eye to look at the shaking brunette, he didn't want to involve this stranger either. He wasn't even that old, probably the same age as him. He was probably one of the kids of an olden time Japanese grandparent who held a fascination toward Japanese culture if his clothing showed anything. Added with the way he looked, and how he was shivering, he obviously had no experience with the Mafia or assassins.

The man in the suit shot his gun at the girl, grazing her temple as she quickly dodged and threw one of the plates that she was carrying at him. He sneered as it came by flying and let it land on his chest as he rushed forward to tackle the girl onto the ground. He stopped as he felt a burning sensation on his body, and looked down to see the purplish goo that gave off the most putrid smell sticking to his clothes. Most alarming of all, it was _burning_ through it as though it was acid. He started screaming, quickly removing the ruined cloth and glared at the girl with such hatred that the temperature around the area dropped a few degrees. He pulled out a dagger from his shoe, and quickly tackled the girl once more, successful as he knocked the acidic plate out of her hand and pinning her to the ground and placed the dagger at her throat.

Not being able to take any more, Hayato burst from their hiding spot with his explosives lit, and ran to the man before threw the dynatimes at him. As the man wasn't expecting it, they exploded around his face and he stumbled away from the girl, trying to clear away the smoke. Hayato went to the girl, and check on her. She wasn't harmed too badly, just a few scrapes on her arms and a forming bruise on her face, but she was alright. Unfortunately, she was unconscious so she wouldn't be able to help him, and that boy still huddling in the bush certainly wasn't going to be any help either. Cursing, Hayato pulled out some more dynamite from his suit and readied himself to the assassin.

Now that he could see, the man glared at the cause and snarled something out in the same language as before at Hayato. Instead of replying, Hayato threw more of the dynamite in his face and dashed off in a direction away from the shaking boy and comatose girl. The man cursed, but chased after the silver haired child without another look behind him, not noticing Tsuna crawl out of his hiding place reluctantly with a worried expression on his face for Hayato.

Reaching a clearing that he judged was a fair distance away from the two, Hayato stopped and turned to face the man. "_Oh? Not running anymore, little boy?_" The man asked in Italian, his lips twisting in a confident smirk.

"_I wasn't running._" Hayato replied in kind smoothly, "_I was waiting._"

The man looked at the boy, obviously not believing him to be an actual threat. "_Is that so… Then I won't keep you waiting any longer!_" He roared as he lunged forward to hit the boy with his dagger. He had seen what the dynamites could do; nothing but children's toys. Eliminating the two children would be simple. He was lucky to have such easy targets; easy to kill, easy to clean, and worth oh so much money.

He was surprised to say the least when the boy suddenly smirked and he felt his sunglasses being torn away from his face, and he hesitated just for a moment as he readjusted his vision to the darkened world without his sunglasses. It didn't take long, since there wasn't much of a difference in lighting without the sunglasses, but that moment was long enough for Hayato to throw out a large number of bombs, yelling, "_Double Bomb!_"

Hayato watched with a smirk as the man fell down, his entire body smoking from the amount of explosives he had used. Double Bomb was a skill that he was still developing, but it was always good to have an experimental subject to see its effects on potential threats. He turned to head back to his sister and the boy, when there was a sudden blow to the back of his head, he heard the man hiss, "_You damn brat, I'll make sure that you die slowly and painfully._" before he blacked out, falling limply onto the grassy floor.

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><p>Tsuna gasped as he watched the silver-haired boy fall, and the man panted heavily as he tried to regain his composure. He hadn't understood much of what they had said, but it didn't seem important as the situation before him right now.<p>

Once Hayato ran off with the man following close behind him, Tsuna slowly crawled out of the bush and hurried over to check on the unconscious girl. He spotted a few scrapes and bruises from when the man had tackled her, but it wasn't something that Zen's healing salve couldn't fix.

During the first few days of Tsuna, Rikuo and Zen playing together in the main house, the two almost immediately discovered that the shy brunette was not only socially awkward, but also accident prone. After a few accidents resulting in Zen having to go to his room to fetch the medicine, the bird yōkai finally made Tsuna some of the salve and put it in a container that was small enough that Tsuna could carry it everywhere, yet held enough that he could cover up whatever part he injured, as long as it remained in cuts and bruises. Right now, Tsuna was grateful as he carefully applied the salve to the girl's arms and face, administering it with expert precision developed after days of countless injuries. After wrapping some of the more heavy wounds with bandages, he half carried, half pulled her behind the bush he had used to hide in. He didn't want the man or his accomplices to return and take her hostage when no one was around after all.

The job done, Tsuna looked around as he considered what he should do now. He wanted to go and find Zen and see what they should do, but there was a pull coming from the direction that Hayato ran to. He was reluctant to go when he didn't even have a plan, but finally decided to follow it. After a few minutes of walking, Tsuna came upon them right after the man had knocked Hayato out with his fist.

And this is where Tsuna stood, quivering like a leaf behind a tree, internally fighting his instinct to fight or flee. His usual timid and shy side whined that they should go find Zen or Rikuo and let them handle the situation, yet his honest and slightly braver side that he discovered after staying in the yōkai household told him to defend Hayato as he had defended Tsuna. Tsuna wanted to follow the brave side, but he really didn't have any idea what to do. He didn't have the knowledge of the plants nor the mountain terrain to assist him, the smart wits to trick the dangerous man, or the skill the use the blade he held hidden inside his kimono.

So what could he do? What could his weak human self do?

_**You really want to go and save that kid?**_ A deep voice said, echoing slightly in the quiet forest. Tsuna looked around in alarm for the source, but he couldn't see anyone other than the man carrying Hayato on his shoulder back to where they had left Hayato's sister,

**Oi! Are you an idiot or something? Look up!**Another voice yelled out, this one sounding dry and reminded Tsuna the sound of a crackling fire, yet somehow was still similar to the first voice at the same time.

"W-What…?" Tsuna whispered as he followed the voice's instructions and looked up at the tree where he had a feeling the voices were coming from. He was surprised, to say the least, to see the two figures standing on the broadest branch in the tree and seemed to be staring at him, though he couldn't be sure as they were a fair distance away from him. "W-Who are you?" He asked, while his face appeared to be slightly frightened as he hadn't sensed their presence. He didn't know who the strangers were, but they held a familiar air around them, like back at the main house, almost like they were… "You're yōkai…" He breathed as his eyes widened in realization.

**Huh... The idiot boy actually figured it out, hmm?** One of the figures huffed, though Tsuna couldn't tell who because they were shaded by the trees. The fact that the sun was almost nearly covered didn't help matters any either. But as far as he could tell, one of them seemed to be on fire, its body giving off tongues of flame that were tinged red as they swirled around the yellowish figure. Tsuna stared in wonder as he tried to figure out why the yōkai wasn't burning the tree it was standing in.

_**He seems to be amused by how you're on fire yet not burning the tree down.**_ The shaded figure chuckled, his deep voice sounding rather young despite its obvious maturity.

**Shut up! **The other snapped, and Tsuna assumed it to be the fiery figure since it lashed out its arm out at the other. **It's not important enough for him to know!**

The figure disappeared and his voice came from another tree behind Tsuna, and the boy whirled around to see the figure sitting almost lazily on a branch rather close to the ground. Now Tsuna could see the person more clearly, and was surprised that it appeared to be a young boy like himself. _**I think our human self would like to know how the fire doesn't burn down a tree.**_ He said in reply, and Tsuna could see the smirk he was giving the other.

"H-Human self?" He repeated, stuttering once again. He was confused; were they talking about him?

**Of course we're talking about you! What other human is there around here?** The fiery figure barked back down at him as it crossed its arms in irritation, leaning back to rest against the trunk.

_**There were that man carrying the boy back to his sister, they're human.**_ The boy behind Tsuna supplied helpfully, and Tsuna's eyes widened as he remembered that the two of them were in danger. Before either of the figures could stop him, he shot out away from them, running after where he had last seen the silver-haired boy disappear. He could feel their stares burning into his back, but he didn't hesitate as he continued forward.

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><p>Tsuna panted as he continued to run, grateful that his athletic ability had slightly improved after participating in whatever plan Rikuo cooked up during the last few weeks. His thoughts raced as he tried to think of something to save Hayato and his sister, but discarded them almost as fast as he could think them up. Deep down, he knew it was suicidal to burst in there with nothing but a blade that was good for nothing but leaving a nasty bruise, but he didn't want to abandon Hayato, the boy who had saved him even though they didn't know each other; to that evil looking man. Even if his captor was someone who looked like they could snap the little brunette's spine in half in a second.<p>

He finally arrived in the area where he remembered Hayato's sister was, and realized had rushed in without an idea of what to do. Fortunately, the man didn't seem to notice his breathless arrival, and was searching around the area for clues as to where the girl had gone. Tsuna gave a silent sigh of relief when he realized he currently had the odds in his favour, and Hayato was resting away from the man, lying haphazardly on the ground and that Tsuna was between him and the man. Tsuna pulled out the wakizashi from his kimono, and cursed as the clunking of the metal hitting the wood echoed rather loud in his ears, and the man turned around to see the timid tuna fish holding the short blade that rattled in his shaky grip. He laughed and commented in the strange language to him.

Though frightened to the very marrow of his bones, Tsuna stood firm in his position in front of Hayato and said slowly, "I-I don't u-understand t-that language." He cursed internally for his stutter; it wouldn't help for his foe to know he was just a scared little boy that had no idea what he was really doing.

The man looked at him puzzled for a moment, before comprehension dawned on his pinched face and he swiftly switched languages. "So... A Japanese brat, huh?" He said, stumbling a little over the apparently unfamiliar language. Clearly, the man didn't study Japanese much like the other two since Tsuna could only half understand what he said. "Better run along before you hit someone with that thing." He continued before turning his attention back to searching for Hayato's sister while making a shooing motion at Tsuna.

Taking the moment of distraction, Tsuna ran forward with the weapon held high, aiming to knock the man out with a blow to the back of his head. He had heard that if the blow was hard enough, even a grown man would be out for at least five minutes. Tsuna hoped he had enough strength to even knock the man out, and swung his sword in a downwards slash, hitting the man's hand sharply to his horror instead of his head, or anywhere near it.

The man instantly snapped his head in Tsuna's direction, and a murderous expression now was aimed at him making the little brunette shy away and looks at the man in obvious terror. The man swore colourfully in Italian as he held his hand tightly, though Tsuna could see the increasing red area from where the wood had struck the bony hand, along with the hints of a bruise forming. "I was willing to let you off..." The man hissed through clenched teeth, "But now I've changed my mind, brat!" He reached his uninjured hand into his suit to pull out his gun once more.

Tsuna was now panicking, and had no idea what he should do now. He wouldn't be able to dodge, knowing his still lacking athletic ability, and he didn't have the skill with the wakizashi to use it to defend himself. But even stronger than his worry for what he should do, was the overpowering sense of concern on what would happen to Hayato if Tsuna couldn't protect him.

_**Would you like some help?**_

Whirling around in surprise, Tsuna's chocolate brown eyes darted around the area, before falling onto the calm figure of the person he had encountered moments earlier standing just by the elbow of the assassin. He wondered how the man didn't notice that there was someone there, but he decided to answer his question. "Y-Yes," He stuttered, stopping a moment to calm himself. "I… I want to protect these people."

**Che.** A voice scoffed, and Tsuna was immediately aware of a sudden warmth that came from his left side. **Big words for a human child.**

Ignoring the comment, Tsuna turned to the fiery person and was surprised that he looked rather familiar… He snapped out of his thoughts when the boy, for they were of the same height, shot him a glare that promised a burning death he kept on staring. "I-I do want to s-save them!" He squeaked, flailing about as he scrambled to put some distance between himself and the potential fire starter.

_**Is that what you truly want?**_ The boy standing by the assassin asked. Tsuna attempted to get a better look at the other, but he somehow was obscured by darkened shadows made by the eclipsed sun, and the larger body of the Mafioso that he was standing behind. Considering the question, Tsuna wondered about that himself. Why did he want to save Hayato? He didn't even know the boy, and it was likely his fault that he was in this situation right now.

His reasonable side chided him, saying that the expression on both Hayato and his sister's face said that they didn't know someone was after them, and Hayato had run to protect both him and his sister. If he had wanted a distraction, Hayato could have pushed Tsuna out of the bushes into the man's mercy, but he had instead led him away to prevent harm on the other two. He wasn't a bad person, he could feel that. That that was a good enough reason for Tsuna to protect him and his sister.

He looked into the eyes of the calm boy, and was surprised to see that his red eyes showed acknowledgement. He glanced over at the fiery boy, and was surprised to see reluctant compliance from him. Confused, he looked back at the first boy and missed the other beginning to charge at him in a flurry of brilliantly colored orange flames.

_**As long as our resolve is strong,**_ Tsuna heard, both of their voices intertwining as they echoed in his mind, _**We will be able to protect that which is important to us.**_

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><p>The hit man had been watching the strange boy in front of him for a while, curious about his strange movements. He muttered some weird things that he didn't understand, but he looked like he was talking to someone. Were all Japanese people this weird? The man gave a surprised yell as there was suddenly a burst of fog that rolled away from the boy, and the sudden gust of wind that came along with it. He stared at the boy in surprise as he noticed that the boy now seemed completely different from the frightened child that had stood there before.<p>

The frightened chocolaty brown eyes that previously had stared at him with fear and apprehension were not calm and confident, and were of an orangey reddish blend. The brown mass of hair that previously laid flat upon his head now defied gravity as if it was a flame, waving about in the light breeze. The man's eyes widened when he realized the hair color was now an orange color instead of the dull brown it had been previously.

Even Tsuna's posture was different with this remarkable transformation; changing from the timid posture that appeared ready to flee despite the wakizashi held loosely in his clammy hands, to now standing firm as he faced the man head on, a determination to protect the other two from the assailant. The aura that the Mafioso felt from the boy seemed much like one that he felt with the numerous mafia bosses he had dealt with, and was shocked to find it in this small boy that was only half his height. Despite telling himself that the boy was bluffing, and what had just happened was just a trick, a sinking feeling told him that this was all real, and that small boy knew how to wield that dangerous blade.

Tsuna watched the man sweat for a few moments, a smirk obvious on his face as he crossed his arms. "What, you scared?" He asked, his voice sounding dry and crackly. It made him seem like an entirely different person, and the assassin wasn't quite sure what to make of him. But he was getting enraged by the realization that the boy was _taunting_ him. A little boy like him taunting someone who kills for a living? He had killed hundreds of people and was known in the mafia world as an accomplished hit man that was respected by many. He wasn't afraid of a little cat that bristled and bared its tiny fangs at him.

He replied in a dead tone, "Doesn't matter what sort of tricks you throw at me, it won't save you or those kids from being killed." He cocked his gun and aimed it right between Tsuna's eyes. "_Ciao._" He said, and shot the bullet with a loud bang. His eyes widened when the boy disappeared instead, and grunted as he felt a blunt blow on his back. He stumbled onto his knees, and turned to glare at the boy but stopped short when he saw that Tsuna's hair was now lit on what appeared to be fire, yet the flame didn't burn him, and was an orange color instead of a regular flame. There was also fire surround his hands and feet, none of them burning though the man could feel the intense heat. One of the flame covered feet gave him a harsh kick to the stomach, pushing him at least a meter away from him. "You think I'd let someone like you kill me so easily? You must be out of your mind." Tsuna scoffed, not looking the least bit breathless.

"Impossible!" The man panted, and spat out a gob of blood. "I never heard of anyone who could use the Sky attribute flames around this area..." He stopped for a moment to catch his breath before he gave a malicious smile. "Heh... I've discovered something interesting." He chuckled, and Tsuna narrowed his eyes at this. The man straightened, and winced as the spot where Tsuna had kicked him protested in pain. Even if he was young, it seemed that the boy had good potential.

Tsuna was surprised to see the man lift his hands up in an obvious sign of surrender. The man's eyes bored into his own, and the man said clearly, "I surrender. Let me go, and I promise not to attack those two kids anymore." Tsuna didn't trust the words, and something in him told him that he definitely should not trust him. Did he honestly think he was naïve enough to let him go after seeing how much he seemed to want to kill Hayato and his sister? And the way he was looking at him, it almost seemed like the assassin was memorizing every detail on the boy.

Tsuna briefly looked at the man with a blank look on his face, before giving him a smirk. "With a shady looking face like yours, who'd ever believe a word you say? You may have been able to fool others with that ugly mug of yours, but this little 'brat' right here can see right through you.

The Mafioso snarled, knowing he most likely wouldn't get out of this situation unscathed, and a soft groan from his left was brought to his attention. The two combatants realized that the man was now the one closer to Hayato, and he could now hold him hostage. The man instantly reached to grab the boy, planning on using him as his bartering chip despite planning to kill him anyways. He was instantly thwarted as Tsuna suddenly appeared between them, and a flame covered fist came and hit the man squarely in the chest, burning a fist-shaped stamp right on where his heart should be. Stumbling backwards, the hit man stopped as his brain tried to recollect what had just happened. Before he could get his bearings, or the pain of the burn to fully process, the wakizashi that had previously laid on the floor forgotten when Tsuna transformed slashed at the man's chest. Blood spurt from the wound, spraying crimson liquid onto the grass around the man, as he stumbled to get himself away from Tsuna and he struggled to keep himself conscious despite quickly loosing blood. Tsuna didn't need to do anything more as the man lost his balance, and fell backwards onto the ground, knocking himself out as he hit the ground head first. He wouldn't die, as the wound was rather shallow, but he would likely be unconscious for a few hours at least with the amount of blood that he lost. Even after he woke up and managed to treat himself, he would be in too much pain to cause any damage to Hayato or his sister.

Tsuna scoffed as he wiped his blade clean on the grass and returned it back to the saya that lay nearby. "How low... Resorting to use a child to protect your own hide..." He said to the unconscious body before turning to make sure Hayato was unharmed. Much like his sister, he only had a few scrapes on his body, though those could be easily healed using the salve. He pulled out the salve to apply it, when he heard Zen's voice faintly calling for him and Rikuo. It was already fading almost as soon as Tsuna heard it, and he knew that Zen was walking away from him. If he didn't hurry, he would lose him and continue to be lost on the maze of a mountain.

Quickly grabbing a plant nearby that he recognized, he plucked a tender leaf from the stem and dug through Hayato's clothes to search for the lighter he knew the boy had. He lit the leaf on fire briefly before blowing it out, and held the smouldering leaf under Hayato's nose. The pungent smell made his eyes water, but he had to make sure that Hayato would be able to look after his sister since he had to leave. A few coughs came from the boy as he started to come around, and Tsuna left the leaf close the boy's face as he turned to leave; making sure that the salve's container was in Hayato's hand.

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><p>AN: It's been a while, and I really should have posted this earlier, but I got sidetracked due to different things. That and I suddenly decided to change the ending a bit so it sounds a better. My apologies; I procrastinate a little too much on this.

The extreme lack of detail in the two new chars in this story is meant to be like that. It's just a kind of introductory stage for them, like when Rikuo transformed for the first time. I will explain them in detail in a later chapter, so please be patient.

http : / en .wikipedia .org /wiki/ Japanese_sword_mountings -(remove the spacing) The site I used for all references of the wakizashi. Before you complain it's for a katana and not a wakizashi, I want to say that I already know that. But just for the sake of the story, please bear with it because I really don't want to have to search up the parts of every single sword I will use in this story.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: I deeply apologize for the verily late delay. This chapter… was rather difficult for me to write. I had a massive writer's block on it, and it was rather painful extracting it and making this story acceptable. I still don't like it and will change it when my imagination decides to work properly, but I guess it's alright for now.

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><p><em>Present time, with Zen<em>

Low mutter of curses could be heard in the darkened forest, startling the animals that hadn't been aware of another creature that was among them. They immediately scampered away because their instinct had told them that whatever it was, it was very dangerous. It wasn't dangerous, per se; for them. But it _would_ have been possible, had they got in the creature way.

A few more curses and a bush later, a khaki haired being appeared, looking rather ragged in appearance due to walking around the forest for a while. The strange creature stopped to lean over and pant, rather tired from storming around and cussing out at the same time. After he had somewhat regained his breath; the being sucked in a breath and called out, "TSUNA! RIKUO! IT IS I, ZEN! ANSWER ME!"

Zen stood and listened for a few moments, and cursed when there was no reply. Not even the indigenous animals of the mountain were making a noise, which Zen took as a really bad sign. It was springtime up in the mountain; and it meant that the every living creature on the mountain would be brimming with energy, while they would be working hard in recreating their homes for the coming warm months. It was rather eerie under the darkened sky when there was no such animal around for a fair distance. It almost as though the entire mountain was abandoned.

The yōkai brushed if off casually, though a nagging suspicion stayed in the back of his mind. Eclipses did not happen often in Japan, so he supposed that the animals were all just hiding because they were confused in the sudden darkness in the supposed daytime. But if that were true, then why weren't the creatures of the night roaming about?

A sudden rustling of leaves brought the yōkai out of his thoughts, and he immediately whirled around to face it. This was the first signs of life he had encountered, and he couldn't be sure that it was a safe one. For all he knew, it could be a hungry bear emerging from hibernation that decided a young tender yōkai would go down as a treat. Zen gritted his teeth as he took on a battle stance. If he was going to be eaten, he wasn't going to go without a fight!

"Come out here and face me a like a real yōkai! This Zen will not be eaten without a fight!" Zen called out, readying himself for a fight.

The bushes in front of him rustled some more and the bird yōkai twitched as he saw a bright orange head pop out, followed by a small body wearing a familiar kimono and orange cloak. Zen gaped in shock as the orange haired boy, for that was all he could be, shook the leaves out of his hair before lifting his head up to meet Zen's red eyes with the boy's sharp orange ones. Clearly, this child was ayōkai if he had this kind of appearance, though Zen was sure he had never heard of a yōkai that looked like the Supreme Commander.

"Who are you?" Zen questioned curiously. "Are you from the Nura Clan?" Though he was sure that no one from the main house would send anyone to guard them, he thought that maybe Nana would have. She seemed rather concerned that only the three of them were going out so far without any other protection other than themselves and their blades.

The boy gave him a blank stare, as he tilted his head slightly to the side. After a moment, he smirked and replied, "I might be."

Zen was surprised at the voice, as it sounded deeper than it should be for his supposed age. With his height, he figured the boy wouldn't be much older than Tsuna or Rikuo, and most assuredly not as old as himself. But with the air of maturity that surrounded the boy, it was hard to discern his true age, nor his identity. Zen couldn't even tell if this person was a yōkai or not, as he couldn't feel any **Fear** towards the boy. If such was the case, then he _should_ be a human, but then he remembered his father once told him that the Nurarihyon yōkai had the ability to hide their **Fear** and bewilder the enemy. If this boy was a Nurarihyon, then it could prove rather dangerous indeed. The wakizashi that Zen now noticed at the boy's side made the fact no less obvious, and the faint scent of human blood told him that it had been used very recently. He just hoped it wasn't Tsuna or Rikuo's.

"I don't recognize you; why are you in Yakuzen Clan territory?" Zen called out. For a moment, a flash of surprise swept across the boy's face before it disappeared, and his expression turned blank again.

"Is that where I am?" The boy drawled, and now appeared rather bored as he looked around. "I didn't know."

At this, Zen ground his teeth together in an attempt to keep his temper in check. It wouldn't do if he lost his cool toward an enemy he knew nothing about. For all he knew, the boy could be an assassin seeking to kill him!

Finally, the boy gave a sigh in exasperation and now held an annoyed expression on his face. Zen blinked in surprise. What was there to be annoyed about? "Do you honestly not recognize me, Zen?" The boy said, his deep voice just a hint sad. "I didn't think I'd look _that_ different."

Zen scratched his head as he finally gave up guarding himself in favour of trying to figure out the identity of the strange yōkai. He knew this person? But he was sure he had never met anyone like him; his bright orange hair that waved about like a fire was a little hard to forget. He resembled old paintings of the Supreme Commander in his youth, and that of Rihan as well, but the Supreme Commander was too old now to take on the appearance of one so young. Rihan was dead now as well, so the only one who still held Nurarihyon's blood was Rikuo.

A sudden memory flashed through Zen's mind, from the time that Zen first met Tsuna, and a line from Rikuo stood out in his mind.

"_Ne Zen! So you're up, huh? Haha, you're much like Tsuna! Oh, who is he? He's my cousin from dad's side of the family!_"

What he had said at the time was rather vague, as Zen didn't know much about the previous head nor the Supreme Commander. He knew for certain that the Second had no siblings. Since Rihan was a hanyō, that could mean that Tsuna was either related to the Supreme Commander, or Yōhime, Rihan's human mother. Considering Tsuna's appearance, it was more likely that he took after Yōhime's side. But then, Nana was Tsuna's mother, and wasn't she a powerful yōkai herself?

After a minute of Zen slowly figuring out the Supreme Commander's family tree, he concluded that the boy in front of him was either Rikuo or Tsuna. But he honestly couldn't tell who it was standing in front of him. Both of them were a part Nurarihyon, so it would be difficult to tell how each of them would look when they awakened their yōkai blood. But this feeling of calmness that he could feel, slowly easing away the tension in his body. It felt like when he was with Tsuna, a serene grace aura that drew him in towards the brunette; a similar yet different feeling compared to Rikuo's aura that drew him in, exciting his blood for a good fight.

The boy offered a small smile. "Have you realize it now?" He asked softly, the resemblance now showing itself strongly.

The bird yōkai nodded. "Tsuna… You're… _Tsuna_… Aren't you…?" He trailed off, more like stating the sentence as a fact instead of a question.

Tsuna nodded. "Yeah..." He grinned cheekily. "I guess it is a little surprising to see me like this, ne?"

Zen scoffed in reply. "Surprised would be an understatement. Why do you suddenly look like that?" He asked as he folded his arms in front his chest, completely relaxing himself from his battle ready position.

"Dunno." The boy shrugged. "I just suddenly found myself as a yōkai when I got attacked by a human."Tsuna paused, and then furrowed his brows as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "I thought that _he_ would have wanted to roam about little bit more… Who knows when we'll be able to have fun like _this_ again..." He muttered to himself, making Zen strain his ears in an effort to catch the end of his sentence.

"What was that?" Zen asked, not understanding what he meant at all.

Tsuna hummed and waved his hand. "It's not important. Do you know where Rikuo is?" He asked, tilting his head to the side in the familiar manner he usually did. "I didn't hear him anywhere near. Is he still lost?"

The bird yōkai grunted in reply and looked off to the side in annoyance. The silence was enough of a reply for Tsuna, and he chuckled before setting an irritating smirk on his face.

"What are you grinning like that for?" Zen snapped, feeling his temper flare as he suspected that the yōkai knew where the missing hyperactive brunette of their trio had gone off to. "If you know where Rikuo is, just say it!"

The smirk widened, and Tsuna replied, "And where would the fun be in that? Besides, it's not like I _really _knew where he is. It's just a… _Feeling_. That's all." He shrugged, as if it wasn't such a big deal.

Zen could feel his brow twitching at that. "A… Feeling? You're going to find Rikuo just based off a _feeling_? _While I have been searching around using my actual yōkai senses, as you __**should have**__ been doing_?" He ground out, feeling that he was going to explode.

He nearly did when Tsuna merely shrugged in reply. "Well, I can't smell him anywhere and I'm sure you can't either. No tracks to follow either, so that's no good. What other way is there with the very few resources we have?" He folded his arms. "With no other leads, I'm pretty sure that a feeling is better than nothing."

Sighing with resignation, Zen knew that he was right. It was certainly better than wandering aimlessly through the mountain. It was rather vast, and there were still potentially dangerous creatures on it as well. Not to mention that if they took too long, the yōkai at the main house would worry, and Nana would be on him like a shot for losing both her son and the Third heir of the Nura Clan. The khaki haired boy ran a hand over his face; feeling rather aged just as he usually did while around the two brunettes. He was sure that he was going to get old faster by looking after the pair, and he had barely reached adulthood too!

Seeing as there was no other way to find Rikuo, following Tsuna's 'feeling' was the only thing they could do. Otherwise, the two of them could wander around for hours before either they found Rikuo, Rikuo found them, or an inhabitant of the mountain found either of them. Even if they were both yōkai, Zen hoped they wouldn't run into anything else in the forest. "Fine. I see that we didn't have any other choice; let's go with your '_feeling_', then." He said finally.

The orange haired boy nodded, and walked off in a different direction. Zen was surprised that Tsuna was able to walk so silently, and seem as though he hardly touched the ground. He supposed he had underestimated Tsuna's yōkai heritage. If only he could remember who the blasted boy's yōkai grandparents were, since it nagged at him that Tsuna's current appearance resembled those of Nurarihyon, yet the obvious sign that he wasn't just that breed of yōkai bothered him. It irked him even more when he didn't even know _why_ it bothered him so much of why he didn't know.

"Zen."

Said yōkai nearly jumped in surprise at the mention of his name. He could feel his heart banging in his chest as he looked at Tsuna's face. Realizing his face still wore the expression of shock; he quickly scowled and snapped, "_**What**_? Did you lose that 'feeling' or whatever it is?"

Tsuna blinked a few times before turning away. "You were muttering very loudly about me." He replied, and continued on his way. "What were you thinking about?"

"Well…" Zen started, scratching his head, following after the boy. Was it really worth mentioning it? He could just ask his father about it when they returned, but then he might ask Zen why he wanted to know. And if he found out that he had let both Tsuna and Rikuo out of his sight, he knew there would be heavy punishment for it. And there would still be Nana and the Supreme Commander's punishment when his father told them. He shuddered. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He said, waving his hand in front of him.

Tsuna looked at him through the corner of his eye for a moment, then turned and continued on their way. He was well aware that Zen could be just as stubborn as he and Rikuo, and wouldn't say until his curiosity burned stronger and stronger, and he would finally tell him what was on the bird yōkai's mind. Although he could already guess what Zen wanted to know, if he had to take a guess from Zen's loud mutters. He heard an unintelligible noise from behind him, and he grinned. Tsuna knew he would break, but he didn't expect him to ask so quickly. Well, he figured that Rikuo was still a fair distance yet, only a few minutes, so he decided to mess with the bird yōkai just a bit.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you there, Zen." Tsuna said, carefully hiding his face from Zen so the yōkai teen wouldn't notice the grin spreading across the other's face. "Mind speaking up a little?"

The next head of the Yakuzen clan who had already reached the yōkai age of maturity, scowled like a small child, looking to be Rikuo and Tsuna's age, rather than being the eldest of the trio. Tsuna could practically feel the pout aimed at him behind his back, but he decided to ignore it and wait for Zen's reply. He wasn't disappointed.

"HOW ARE YOU RELATED TO THE SUPREME COMMANDER!" Zen yelled, and immediately clamped a hand over his mouth as his face reddened even more. This time, Tsuna started laughing at the fuming Zen. He hadn't figured that he'd give in to his temper and explode, though he hadn't known it would be so soon.

"Why are you laughing?" Zen growled, his blood pressure rising dangerously.

Immediately, Tsuna stopped laughing as he remembered Zen's condition. If the bird yōkai fainted, it would be no problem for the boy to carry the older yōkai, but he wasn't sure if he could fend off any attacks that came by while carrying Zen at the same time. He also didn't want to get any blood stains on his kimono and cloak; he already had quite a few that were in the wash from this week.

"Sorry," Tsuna coughed, doing his best to suppress any remaining giggles in his system. "I wasn't exactly laughing at _you_; I was laughing at your question."

Zen's anger evaporated, leaving behind tiredness and confusion. "My question? What's wrong with my question?"

Tsuna shook his head. "Well, didn't we tell you when we first met? I'm his cousin. And since I'm ayōkai right now, then that means I'm related to the old man. And before you ask which parent, I'm pretty sure you have an idea of who it is." He said, raising a brow in Zen's direction.

It didn't matter if Tsuna had said that or not, Zen already was sure who it was that Tsuna inherited his yōkai side from. He shuddered as remembered Nana's **Fear**. If Tsuna grew up to be anything like his mother, then he would be very powerful indeed; especially if he gained the ambition to become the Third head of the Nura clan. His mind wandered off as he considered what would happen if Rikuo awakened his yōkai blood as well and the eligibility of candidacy for the both of them for the title of the Third head of the Nura clan.

He snapped out of his musings when he began to recognize signs of humans nearby, revealed by various pieces of garbage and empty alcohol bottles. "Tsuna," He called, "Why are you walking this way? There're humans that way. And I would bet that they're no good too."

"Is that so? I hadn't noticed." Tsuna replied, not hesitating in the slightest. "I wonder what Rikuo is doing over there."

Behind the boy's back, Zen was looking at him incredulously. Even though Rikuo was currently human, he knew well enough to stay away from potentially dangerous humans. He had been warned many times that not all humans were kind like his classmates in school; there were some that would be more than happy to eliminate the small child. Of course, Rikuo's attendants always made sure to prevent that from happening. But they weren't here right now, and Rikuo was all by himself. So what reason was there for Rikuo to go to them? Zen hoped that nothing would happen to the boy or he would never forgive himself for allowing harm on his little brother.

"Ah, it looks like we're at the edge of the forest." Tsuna broke in, and jumped the remaining distance onto what appeared to be a mountain trail. Surprised at Tsuna's sudden movement, Zen huffed through the bushes, a complaint on the tip of his tongue.

Surprise could be one word to describe the look on Zen's face as the sight of a group of humans lying on the ground in front of him. He supposed that they were unconscious, since he was quite sure that no being would have a reason to suddenly lie down in the middle of the road on a mountain. His attention snapped back to Tsuna, who was walking toward the one person of the group that Zen hadn't noticed, and wasn't unconscious; a boy that looked remarkably similar to Tsuna, albeit his top half of his hair was white with inky markings, and crimson coloured eyes. Zen was completely baffled at seeing many strange yōkai in one day. It didn't even register in his mind that Tsuna was making a beeline for this strange person until he heard him speak.

"Hey! I've found you!" Tsuna grinned, raising a hand in greeting to the boy.

The boy, standing among a pile of leaves and wood chippings, raised his face to settle his crimson gaze on Tsuna. He smiled, and raised the blade he held in his hand to rest the back on his shoulder. "I was wondering when you were going to finally show up. I had all the fun." The boy replied, smirking in reply.

Tsuna waved a hand in a passive movement. "Doesn't matter, I had my own fun elsewhere." Behind him, Zen was gaping at the pair, completely surprised that Tsuna appeared to know this person. How many surprises were going to pop up in this mountain? With these strange things happening on the mountain, he was sure that there was nothing else that could surprise him anymore.

The boy that Tsuna was talking to finally noticed the bird yōkai standing there, and smirked at him. "Finally made it, Zen? With your health, I thought it would take you a little longer to find me." He chuckled, Zen spluttering as he tried to make a reply. He knew this person too? Just what was going on?

Turning around to get a look at Zen when he didn't reply, he noted the faint flush on his face as the bird yōkai tried to process in his brain just what was going on. Tsuna sighed as he scratched his head, before gazing his orange gaze back onto the boy who looked almost like a mirror image of himself. "It seems he doesn't recognize you. He didn't recognize me until I told him who I was."

The boy raised a brow. "He doesn't know me? He's known me for so long and he doesn't know who I am?"

Tsuna shrugged. "Well… Our appearance _did_ looked quite a bit different than we do when we're human. It makes sense that the others wouldn't know who we are… _Especially_ if they've never met us _like this_ before." He replied.

"Oh…" The boy said, and looked at Zen with a thoughtful gaze. "That's true… You haven't seen me like this before, have you?"

"Like this before…?" trailed the bird yōkai confusedly. " This Zen has never seen you before at all!" Zen finally snapped, his temper flaring at all these cryptic words.

The boy blinked. "No need to snap, Zen. And _yes_… You _had_ seen me before."

"Yeah… Don't you recognize him?" Tsuna piped up, mirroring the look on the other boy's face. "It's Rikuo!"

Finally, Zen's mind snapped and opted to make the bird yōkai pass out rather than to strain his brain trying to figure out the _other_ brunette as well. The added stress that he had received didn't help either, as it made Zen pass out in a dead faint in a large spray of blood.

* * *

><p>AN: Just so it's made clear; the eclipse has still been going on through the last three chapters. The other two occurred at the same time, so that's sort of why it seems rather long. At this point, it's probably been half an hour, maybe more. So before someone starts by saying that eclipses don't actually last this long, they don't. It's just for the story's sake, and is not an important element here. It's just to help get the ball moving here.

Yesterday, I had been taking a nap since I was debating what I should do with this bit of the 'introductory' arc nearly complete. I woke up to the sound of rain an hour later, and saw it was raining outside while the sun basically blinded me. If you know your Japanese folklore, that should give you a hint on where I'm taking this story after the next chapter.


	9. Chapter 8

"So... You are sure that it was _all_ that had happened?" The Supreme Commander asked while looking at Zen carefully to make sure he wasn't lying.

Zen bowed deeply, his facial expression mostly hidden as he faced the floor. "Yes, Supreme Commander. Unfortunately... If you require more details about Tsuna and Rikuo, this Zen does not know much."

The Supreme Commander sighed, and waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "No. That is fine, because I don't think we'll be able to find out any more. Karasu told me that you scared away most of the animals in the area, so we won't be able to get any more information. And I suspect that Tsuna and Rikuo themselves won't remember what happened in the mountain."

Zen seemed as though he wanted to ask, but the Supreme Commander interrupted him. "Never mind... I am sure you must be tired after that trip so far away, hm? Please go rest for a while. I don't need your father harping at me for being so careless with you young'uns."

After a moment of internal debate, Zen gave a stiff nod. After respectfully wishing both Nana and the Supreme Commander a good night, he left the room after the sliding the door closed with a soft click. Once Zen's footsteps faded away, Nana turned to her uncle with a quirked brow. "Uncle," She started, "Why did you say that you thought Tsuna and Rikuo wouldn't remember their yōkai selves?"

The old yōkai took a deep breath through his nose as he folded his arms, and closed his eyes in thought. "Well... We're not entirely sure about half human half demon children. As you have known it very well, it is not often that hanyō children are born in the clan, never mind other clans. Sometimes, they hold much more secrets of hidden powers in their blood than their full blooded parents."

"Rihan…" Nana murmured softly.

The Supreme Commander suddenly looked aged as he nodded wearily. His eyes opened, reflecting sadness he still carried after his son's death. "Yes... Rihan was strong. If he was still alive, I'm sure he would have been stronger than I was in my prime."

Nana gave a small smile, knowing full well the strong leader Rihan had been. Even when she had left the yōkai world to raise her child with her human husband, she still heard whispers of Rihan's achievements as he roamed the night. Sometimes she would hear it from the Second himself when he disappeared from the main house, and came to visit her when Tsuna was younger. His ever-growing powers never failed to bewilder her, and she knew deep in her heart that Rihan would make the Nura clan stronger than it had ever been. "Even though so, I'm sure that he was like those two when he first tapped into his yōkai self."

"Actually... No." The Supreme Commander replied. "He had a natural aptitude for his yōkai power, so it might have been why. When he transformed for the first time, he managed to cling to it longer than Tsuna or Rikuo did. And even when it extinguished, he didn't faint or lose any memory of what had happened as a yōkai."

"Then what makes you think that Tsuna and Rikuo will lose their memories? Maybe Rikuo might since he is mostly human, but Tsuna is a hanyō like Rihan! I don't see why they're different..." Nana asked, confused.

Her uncle nodded sagely. "Yes... Tsuna is a hanyō. But there is a major difference between Rihan and the two of them! And that was the way they were _raised_."

"Eh?"

"Well... Both you and Rihan had been raised among yōkai ever since day one, correct?" The Supreme Commander asked.

Nana nodded, "Yes. Both Mother and Father wanted me to be fully aware of the yōkai world." She reminisced, remembering her childhood from all those years ago…

The Supreme Commander coughed, interrupting Nana's thoughts. "Ahem. Yes. Well... This is likely to be the difference. All three of them have a human side and a yōkai side. However... Rihan _chose_ to side with yōkai. While on the other hand, both Tsuna and Rikuo have had a human upbringing. They've been around humans much more, and are more likely to side with humans instead."

"If it were Father's choice, he would have had Tsuna brought up with yōkai as well..." Nana commented, her lips quirking in a smile.

The old yōkai snorted. "Like your mother would let him. Even if that brother of mine is strong, he is still whipped by that mother of yours. If she didn't like something your old man did, she'd be lashing at him faster than any yōkai."

"Oh?" said Nana, while a sly grin slowly slipping onto her face. "Why are you sounding like you weren't the same, hmnn~? From what I've heard; you were as much whipped, if not even more so by Aunty too... At least Mother was a _yōkai_... Aunty _was_ a full-blooded human, and yet she had you wrapped tightly around her little fingers!" accused the female yōkai triumphantly.

"W... What? Where did you hear _that_!" The old man spluttered, completely caught off guard. "That is not true! I... I was just more willing to follow her requests since she was human! _That's_ all."

Nana rolled her eyes. "Suuu~re... But we _both_ know the truth, hmm?" mild sarcasm rolled out of the woman.

The Supreme Commander grunted, opting not to give the younger yōkai any more fuel. "Anyways," He rambled, attempting to steer the conversation back on track. "Their personalities resemble humans, unfortunately. While they may have finally started to tap into their yōkai heritage, I can't say if they'll be able to continue down that way."

"And here I was... Hoping that Tsuna would be able to keep out of the yōkai world..." Nana huffed. Her brows knit together as the corner of her lips pulled down into a frown.

"Like that was possible! You know as well as anybody that as soon as you gave birth to that boy, it was impossible for him not to be involved in the world we live in." The old man grumbled, pulling out his pipe. "And even if you try to _deny_ it..." trailed the woman's uncle slightly. 'It is pointless, since even your _soul_ had known better. Otherwise, you would not have come here when Iemitsu told you that you had to leave Nanimori." pointed the Shodaime blandly.

Nana remained silent. She _wanted_ to deny it. That Tsuna would still had the chance to live like a human. But deep down, she had known that it was impossible. With a mother who was a yōkai and a father who was involved in a human mafia, he would never be able to live like other children Tsuna knew of. Likewise, the elder of the two was wrapped up in his own thoughts. Thoughts of his dearly departed wife, _Yōhime_; when she was still alive and they were still rebuilding their town of Edo. Thoughts of his only son, Rihan; when he was born... And how proud he had been when his boy chose to follow the path of the yōkai and become his successor of the Nura Clan as the Second.

Both were so preoccupied with their musings that they didn't notice the soft footsteps on the wooden floorboards; or the silhouette of a young boy with spikey hair that defied gravity cast on the paper screen door. Their heads snapped up at the sound of the door sliding open, not expecting to see anyone. All of the yōkai at the household had heard of Rikuo and Tsuna's transformation back on the mountain, and were currently celebrating the occasion with a boisterous party and drinking large amounts of sake. The Supreme Commander could only imagine the mess that he would see when he woke up the next morning, or his extremely short tempered subordinates as they nursed their heavy hang overs.

"Tsu-kun!" Nana said, surprised to see the small brunette standing in the light of the moon. She noted that the little tuna's hair was now spiked up everywhere rather than the more tamed and flat style it had been previously. She brushed it off, attributing this new look to Tsuna's awakened yōkai blood. "Why are you up? You should be sleeping?"

Tsuna yawned widely as he rubbed one of his watery brown eyes with a fist, his other eye being heavy with sleep. He walked into the room slowly, as if he was treading through water. As he drew closer, Nana could see that his lion patterned pyjamas were rather wrinkled, indicating that he had a troubled sleep. Maybe he had a nightmare of whatever attacked him on the mountain? She held her arms open for her son, letting him sit in her lap as he nuzzled closer to her warmth. He murmured something, though it was mostly muffled by the folds of Nana's yukata. "Hmm?" She asked, moving her ear closer. "What was that?"

"… Noisy…" He murmured.

Nana looked at her uncle, not knowing what the child was talking about. He shrugged. "They're having a party on the other end of the mansion." He replied. Her face lit with understanding, and she rocked Tsuna back and forth in her lap as she cooed softly in his ear, lulling him back to sleep as she did when he was a toddler. She was surprised when he suddenly pushed away from her with an annoyed pout on his face. "Tsu-kun…?" She asked uncertain.

"They're noisy…" He muttered crossly, wavering slightly as he was on the verge of passing out. His eyes were on Nana, but they were unfocused, like he was seeing _through_ her instead of at her. Both of the pure blooded yōkai strained their ears for the sound that would annoy the human boy, but found that there was no other sound other than the yōkai partying rather loudly on the other side of the mansion. But the even the loud commotion would be faint in the ears of a human.

"Who are you talking about?" The Supreme Commander asked, quirking a hairless brow at the sleepy child.

Tsuna turned to look at his great uncle, his eyes narrowing as he attempted to focus his vision to no avail. "Them." He said simply, pointing out the door at the weeping sakura tree in the yard.

The two strained their eyes as they scanned the tree, but found that there was no one there. "Are you sure there's someone there, Tsu-kun?" Nana asked.

The young brunette hummed as he nodded, looked at the tree with an annoyed look. "See? One of them is up in the tree," He said, pointing at a thick bough on the tree, and then pointed down to the base. "And the other is down there."

"What do they look like?" The Supreme Commander asked suddenly, an odd look in his eye.

It was silent as Tsuna processed what to say in his mind. Finally, after waiting for a few more minutes; he spoke. "The one... That was on the tree... He's about the same height as I am. He's wearing the same kimono as I am, even the orange cloak that you gave me. But… His eyes… They're... Red… And his hair is long too… The bottom... Is black... And the top is orange… Like... Fire…" said the boy while simultaneously yawned at the same time. "

"What about the other boy?" The old man urged the boy while ignoring the confused look Nana was sending him. "What does he look like?"

Yawning a little wider now, Tsuna murmured sleepily, "He looks a lot like me… But his hair is like a flame… Flickering and shooting sparks..." Finally, his eyes closed as sleep overcame him and Nana quickly caught him as he fell.

"Uncle? Why were you asking him those questions? It's probably just some imaginary people he's thought up. A boy's imagination can run wild when they're tired." She said as she held Tsuna securely in her arms.

The Supreme Commander appeared to be deep in thought. "Nana, don't you think that the description he gave us was a little odd?" He asked finally.

Nana wasn't really paying attention anymore. Most of her attention was focused on combing her fingers through Tsuna's unruly locks. She then asked almost absentmindedly, "Odd how?"

"Well..." He mused, "The first person he described, it seems to fit the Nurarihyon." He waited for a moment for the information to sink in before he continued. "And the second person, doesn't that seem like your mother?"

Nana blinked as she considered the thought. She nodded slowly, "Actually… Yeah. I wonder how he knew though? I never told him anything about yōkai before coming here." She said, her expression becoming confused.

The Supreme Commander sighed, taking a curious glance at Tsuna. "There are probably some secrets in Tsuna we don't know about. The child of a human and yōkai is always a curious thing... Though I'm sure I can expect great things from your son." He grinned as he ruffled the brunette's hair. Nana gave a small smile as she looked tenderly at Tsuna. "Yes, I hope he has the strength to survive in these dangerous worlds."

Suddenly, a song started to play. An old melody that Nana and her uncle knew very well, as it was a song they used to sing hundreds of years ago. "Ah! My phone!" Nana said, scrambling around her yukata to find her cell phone from Iemitsu, while at the same time doing her best not to wake up Tsuna on her lap. She quickly found it, and pulled it out with a flourish. She pushed the answer button, and said a cheery "Hello!" into the phone.

"_Na~naa_~...!" Came her husband's deep voice on the other line, and her heart was filled with relief at the sound. She wanted to berate her husband for making her worry for so long, but the joy she felt at finally hearing that her husband was all right eased away all the negative emotions that built up in her heart over the last few weeks.

The seriousness and light teasing tone that Nana held while they had been talking disappeared, and the yōkai transformed into a squealing housewife that gushed with love for her husband. "Iemitsu~...!" She cooed lovingly into the phone. The Supreme Commander quietly took the sleeping Tsuna from her lap, as he watched Nana with a curious expression. Were those _pink hearts_ and _flowers_ coming out of her?

Was this what happened to yōkai when they committed to a human marriage these days?

* * *

><p>Tsuna groaned as he closed his eyes tighter as the sun burned behind his eyelids. He shifted in an attempt to move out of the sunlight, but he found he couldn't move an inch. Aware that something was holding him down, he opened his eyes to meet Rikuo's brown orbs staring unblinkingly into his own.<p>

"HHHIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!"

Rikuo moved back a little, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Morning, Tsuna~...! Did you sleep well?"

The shocked brunette sat up, panting for a few moments as he waited for his heart rate to slow down to a safer pace. "M-Morning… Why did you scare me like that?" He pouted, slightly annoyed at being woken up when he was sleeping very well. The events from yesterday suddenly rushed back, and his eyes widened. "Are you alright? Your sickness, and you transforming like that-!"

The other boy down next to him, with a confused expression etched on his face. "I'm fine; I told you that my fever wasn't anything to worry about. I've always managed to recover really fast. I don't think I'd call that a transformation, haha. Maybe you've been cooped up in the house for too long, Tsuna!"

Stubbornly, Tsuna shook his head. "No! I'm sure that it happened! We went onto the mountain and I got attacked, and you did too! And I had to carry you guys to Oboro-Guruma!"

Rikuo sighed, shaking his head. "Maybe I should've let you sleep a little more, that dream is making your head a little funny." He looked crestfallen for a moment, before he brightened up once more. "Maybe Zen's awake!" He crowed before dashing through the open shōji doors to the direction of the sleeping bird yōkai's room.

Blinking owlishly after the brunette's departure, his brain was awake enough for him to pull over to a bag with his things. He pulled out a pair of earplugs before stuffing them in his ears. It was such a common morning practice, he completely forgot the reason he was doing this.

"RIKUOOOOOO! YOU LITTLE BRAAT! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

Oh yeah, that was the reason why.

Grimacing, Tsuna rubbed his ears before removing the earplugs. Even if this was a daily occurrence, Rikuo should have let him rest a little while longer. After the amount of blood he lost yesterday due stress and shock, he would need a whole week to recover. And considering that his great-uncle and mother had kept the poor bird up until late into the night telling of the events on the mountain, he would be in the worst possible mood to irritate.

His mother's brunette head popped from around the door, peering into the room. "Ah, Tsu-kun! I thought you might be up, good morning!" She beamed, her tone more cheerful that Tsuna thought it would have been.

"G-Good morning," He returned, giving her a shaky smile. He was quite certain that his mother would have been angry after what happened yesterday, but she seemed happier than the whole time they had been staying at Ukiyoe town. "D-Did something g-good happen?" He asked.

Nana was suddenly grinning from ear to ear, and Tsuna knew that could only mean one thing. "Your father finally called last night! We'll be going back to Nanimori tomorrow!" She said brightly, her eyes sparkling at the thought of Iemitsu.

Instantly, Tsuna dropped his wariness in favour of surprise. "R-Really? Dad is coming to get us?" asked the boy, the feeling of excitement roused into his tone.

His mother came over and mussed his spikey locks, resting it there as she could feel heat radiating from every strand. She was surprised, though she supposed she should have known. Even if there were two different parts of him that were yōkai, it was likely he would favour one side in order to balance his inner self. It made her wonder how he would turn out in the future, if his yōkai powers developed even more.

"Mama…?" Tsuna said, looking up from under her hand.

Snapping out of her musings, she withdrew her hand away and placed a smile on her face. "Yes, he said he is coming immediately, so he'll be here tomorrow afternoon."

"Eeeeh? Tsuna is going back home?"

The two snapped their head toward the door of the room, where a disappointed Rikuo and an angry Zen stood where they had been eavesdropping on the conversation. Zen punched Rikuo's head, hissing, "You idiot, why'd you have to speak up like that?"

The smaller child whined as he held head his head tenderly. "But did you hear? They're going home tomorrow! Then who will I have to play with?"

"Oh? Am I not a good enough playmate?" Zen grunted, crossing his arms.

Nana laughed lightly, while Tsuna gave a wide smile at them. He was sad that he would be leaving, but he decided that he would come back every holiday to spend time with his new friends. Maybe in those times, he would figure out what exactly happened yesterday on the mountain. And maybe, if he could become like that again, he would meet that boy, Hayato, once again. Besides, they had made a promise when he was leaving the mountain, and had quickly checked on him before leaving.

"_W-Wh... Who are you? Were you the one who saved me and my sister?"_

"_Oh? What is this, hm? A little boy whom was trying to bare his fangs at me?"_

"_L-Little? I'm the son of a Mafioso! I'll blow you away with my bombs!"_

"_Haha... Is that so? Well... Come and find me to fulfill that when you have better experience with those, then. I can already **see** you shaking in your shoes."_

"_What? Why you...! I will come and defeat you someday! I promise that!"_

As he thought back to their brief conversation, he realized in his mind he really shouldn't have said those things if he wanted to be friends. And if a Mafioso was anything like what Zen described to him, he was quite sure that he had made an enemy instead of a friend. He could feel a cold sweat coming on as the realization hit him; and he really... _Really_ hoped that Hayato wouldn't take him on because of that.

Nana could see the look of horror on Tsuna's face, and assumed that it was because he would be leaving the two people he had developed a close bond with other than herself. She could understand, since he didn't have any friends in school, and he would be very reluctant to leave them behind. Even though it was against her maternal instincts, she said, "Tsu-kun, why don't you accompany Zen-kun home? His parents are worried after they found out about his fainting spell, so he's supposed to be returning tonight."

"Eh? My old man did?" said Zen, surprise evident in his voice. Catching Nana's wink, Rikuo threw an elbow in Zen's gut, effectively making him double over. "That's a great idea Aunty! Come on, Zen! Let's go ask Grandpa if we can ride Oboro-Guruma!" He said, grabbing the confused bird yōkai by the arm and dragging him away, the latter yelling profanities at the treatment.

* * *

><p>"I guess… This will be the last time I'll be able to see the world like this, ne?" Tsuna sighed, drinking in the sight of the fast moving terrain as they flew up in the sky. The sun was a half-circle as it sat on the far edge of the earth, the sun itself becoming a yellowish orange source of light. The hanging clouds were stained a brilliant red, vivid and showy. It was slightly unnerving, yet at the same time, breathtakingly beautiful for some indescribable reason.<p>

Zen pounded him on the back, nearly knocking him over. "What, you sound like we're never going to see each other again!"

"Yeah," Rikuo piped up, "You can always come back to visit!"

Knowing that it was true, Tsuna nodded. "Yeah, but who knows when. It's already past Golden week, and I probably have to go through cram school this summer."

Not really knowledgeable in the human world, Zen quirked a brow. "Cram school?"

"If you work hard, you won't have to!" Rikuo chirped, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Contrasting that, Tsuna could feel the doom clouds hovering over him, as he knew how hard he was going to have to work if he wanted to avoid cram school this year. His marks were now so low; it wasn't likely his teachers would be willing to help him, nor his classmates. Not only his academics, he also needed to drastically improve his athletic ability as well. He didn't need another repeat of yesterday's incident, and he still wasn't quite sure how he had managed to transform into whatever he transformed into.

"Why don't we make a promise to each other?" Zen said suddenly, "And exchange sakazuki while we're at it?"

"Sakazuki?"

"A promise?"

Zen nodded. "Mm, a promise that we'll all meet up again this summer, and every holiday you two have. We're all close enough to be brothers, no?" He grinned. "I would trust the both of you with my life."

Surprised, Tsuna couldn't say anything as he thought about it. It was true that these two were the first friends he ever had, but did he trust them? When he looked up into the eyes of Zen and Rikuo, he could feel the faith and trust they held when they looked at him, and he didn't need to ask to know that he was looking at them the same way. Yes, they were brothers even if they weren't related to Zen by blood.

Nodding in approval, Zen reached over to grab his bag that carried a few of his things that he had brought from his home. He dug around it, muttering crossly to himself. Finally, he pulled out three sakazuki cups, along with a jar of sake. He had managed to smuggle it from the Nura house during the festivities the night before, and most likely it wouldn't be noticed under all the other jars the main house yōkai had drank.

Watching as Zen poured the clear liquid into the cups; his curiosity got the better of him as he finally asked, "What is a sakazuki?"

Without taking his eyes away from the falling liquid, Zen answered, "It is a ritual in which we exchange these sake cups to show our loyalty for each other."

"Exchanging drinks show loyalty?" Tsuna asked, rather confused.

"You know those people in the General Council? Grandpa told me he's exchanged sakazuki with each and every one of them, which means they are willing to follow his command." Rikuo said.

Tsuna nodded, not entirely understanding it. "But… Isn't sake an alcohol…? Mama wouldn't like it if I got drunk when I get back…" He trailed off, and all three shivered at the thought of a murderous Nana ready to pummel them for letting two minors get drunk.

Finishing pouring the drinks, he stoppered the container and placed it back inside his bag. "Don't worry about it. You'll be adults in the yōkai world in five years. We'll just keep it secret from her anyways."

Peering into the cups, Rikuo noted that they all held the same amount of liquid. "Ne, Zen, why is it that each of the cups have the same amount of sake?"

"What, you don't know?" Zen said, surprised. "They're split fifty-fifty to show that we're making a pledge that will tie us together as siblings."

Rikuo sat staring at the cups, calculating how the drinks would be split. "But… How does this work? There are three of us, so are we going to do it in a circle or something?"

Zen shook his head. "No, we'll be doing it traditionally. One on one, as it should be. I'll just pour some more to equal the amount the other cup has. So who'll go first?"

Even though Rikuo did trust Zen, and he wanted to become a true brother to him, he mostly wanted to try the alcohol. He had always seen it being used in cooking or when the yōkai of the household decided to have a party for no apparent reason, and pulled out the entire stock of sake that Rikuo didn't know they had. "Oh! I want to first!" He said, raising his hand excitedly.

The bird yōkai used a hand to keep the excited brunette down firmly, not wanting to waste the sake. Oboro-Guruma was fine if they ate while they flew, but he didn't particularly like it when someone spilled some food inside. They were rather tough to clean, seeing as he didn't have any hands to use. "Alright, alright... We can do it first if you're so insistent. You're alright with that, Tsuna?" He grunted, turning to look at said boy.

Tsuna gave a small smile, waving his hand. "It's fine... Go ahead. I don't mind."

Rikuo sat in front of Zen, holding his sakazuki cup in front of him. He hooked his arm around Zen's, bringing the dish up to his lips as they drank the liquid. Tsuna watched, completely fascinated by the process, and was now eager to exchange sakazuki himself. As he sat down in front of Zen, his eyes stared straight into the other's small crimson pupils, which stared back at him unblinkingly. As they hooked their arms around each other, they raised the cup to their lips as they drank the contents. Tsuna nearly gagged as the liquid burned down his throat, but something told him that would be disrespectful if he did that right then and there.

Once he finished, he started to feel a little dizzy as he started to lose his sense of balance. He turned to look at Rikuo, who appeared to be just fine. "How come…. You look fine?" He slurred, his cheeks taking on a faint pink tinge.

"I guess it's because the yōkai back at the main house always snuck sake into my tea when I wasn't looking, and I built up a tolerance for it." He said, shrugging. In truth, he was feeling a little bit of the effects, but he knew from experience it was better not to move around. Oboro-Guruma REALLY wouldn't appreciate it if he vomited right inside him.

Zen watched the two, knowing full well that they were both drunk. He could drink a whole jar of sake without feeling drunk yet, and they were intoxicated from only one cup of it! "Lightweight brats..." Zen muttered, looking out to watch the sunset.

* * *

><p>AN: Umm, I apologize this update was rather late. I already plotted out how I wanted this chapter to turn out, but it turned out to be much longer than I thought it would be. As such, I decided to cut it in half, since this is already quite long.

On another note, it has finally been revealed: Nana and Tsuna's relation to the Nura clan! Just to make things clear, if you didn't understand, Nurarihyon had a brother. His brother and his brother's wife had a child, which is Nana. Therefore, Nana is Rihan's cousin. Both of these two had children with their respective spouses, resulting in Tsuna and Rikuo. This would make them… Second cousins…? I don't know, family trees confuse me LOL

Before you start asking who Tsuna's grandmother is, I shall say this clearly: I'm not 100% sure yet. I have a yōkai in mind, but I can't find any information on them, so I can't be sure if I am going to make them Tsuna's grandmother or not. But if you have a suggestion, I'm all for hearing about it!

Near the end, I didn't have Rikuo and Tsuna exchange sakazuki since they are related. I read somewhere that family members to not need to exchange a 50-50 pledge since they're already family. Since Zen is the only one not related by blood, he was the only one they had to exchange sakazuki with. If this is not true, don't hesitate to correct me since half the time I have no idea what I looked up, and which I imagined out of thin air.


	10. Chapter 9

A weak moan was emitted from a small brunette as his bleary chocolate coloured eyes opened to see that most of the sunlight had faded, the growing twilight slowly crept through the room that Tsuna was in currently. He slowly sat up, though he immediately regretted the action as he felt an intense migraine attack his head and made him wince in pain. As the throbbing went away, Tsuna could now look at his surroundings, as long as he kept his movements minimal and didn't do something his body or stomach agreed with. "Ugh… What happened to me…?" He muttered, feeling sick.

"You fainted." Someone said next to his futon.

Forgetting that he had internally told himself not to make any sudden moves, Tsuna whirled around in surprise, though he groaned as he could feel both his brain and his stomach protesting. He fell back into his futon and waited for the pain to pass as it ravaged his weak body. He had no idea what he had done to be in this kind of torture, but he vowed to never to it ever again. "W-What happened?" He managed to groan out.

He heard a sigh, but his mind was too busy with the rest of his protesting body to figure out who the voice belonged to. "After you exchanged sakazuki with Zen, you threw up in Oboro-Guruma and then you fainted."

"I did…? Sorry…" Tsuna replied, not really paying attention to what the other person just said. He laid an arm over his eyes and sighed, reluctant to get up and figure out just where he was.

He heard thumping of flesh against wood, coming closer to where his room was. The sound stopped in front of his rooms, and the sound of the doors sliding open became present in Tsuna's ears, allowing the last few rays of sunlight to stretch into the room before they retreated into darkness. Tsuna listened for the other person to speak, but moments passed and no one said anything. Deciding that the new person wasn't going to say anything, Tsuna opted to go and sleep off whatever it was that he got and figure out where he was when he felt better.

However, the new occupant in the room decided to speak right when Tsuna was about to fall asleep, though he spoke so loud that he startled the poor brunette. "TSUNA! YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BRAT!"

The person next to Tsuna moaned, "Zen… Could you please speak a little quieter? My tummy still hurts…"

In return, Zen scoffed at the other. "Didn't you say that you built up a tolerance for it?"

"Well... I'm still only eight. None of my classmates drink sake at eight." Rikuo replied, sounding slightly annoyed.

Finally, Tsuna decided to speak up. "Guys, would you please be quiet? I don't feel so good…"

Remembering what he had come into the room for, Zen strode forward with the tray he had carried in with him. He placed the tray carrying a cup with steaming liquid inside next to the brunette, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him up into a sitting position. Tsuna whined, not liking the feeling of his stomach churning around and threatening to empty its contents onto Zen for a second time. Zen picked up the cup in the tray and pushed it into Tsuna's hand. He kept his grip on the smaller boy's shoulder, keeping him in place. "Here, drink this."

Sniffing the contents suspiciously, he nearly gagged at the bitter smell. "It smells gross though… What is it?" He asked, reluctant to down the foul substance down his throat. He had learned from the medicine yōkai that if it smelled bad, DO NOT EAT IT.

Zen scowled, pushing the cup in Tsuna's hand closer to his mouth. "Drink it, its hangover medicine. It'll get rid of that queasy stomach and aching head." Tsuna's gurgling stomach protested against those words.

"Little brat…" Zen muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. If Tsuna didn't want to do something, there was no budging. He idly wondered if he had inherited that stubbornness from his mother or father's side of the family. "Speaking of family… Hey, Tsuna?" He called, bringing both of the two boy's attention to him. "What happened up on the mountain yesterday?"

Tsuna shifted slightly in his futon uncomfortably, his eyes darting away from Zen's suspiciously. "W-What do you mean? N-Nothing happened. I-I…I got lost." He muttered, his nervous stutter returning as it usually did when he lied. He would really need work on the art of subtlety if he wanted to avoid being interrogated like this.

Tempted to knock Tsuna on the head for the obvious lie, Zen forced himself to calm down, and try again. He really didn't want Nana to be angry at him again for causing an injury on her hangover son. Not that she really needed to know of course, but there were always ways of finding out. "More than you 'got lost' happened yesterday, Tsuna. You _transformed_. And the same thing happened with Rikuo, too." He nodded in the said brunette's direction, who returned it with a surprised look.

"Me? I transformed? That's awesome!" Rikuo cheered, before stopping for a moment. "What did I transform into?"

"Both of you transformed into yōkai yesterday during the eclipse." Zen informed him, watching for both of their reactions carefully. Rikuo got that sparkling look in his eyes whenever something yōkai became involved. However, there was no recollection of transforming into one himself, and Rikuo was no liar. On the other hand, Tsuna was twitching a little bit more, and he thought he could see a faint sheen of sweat that could not be attributed to his current hangover. "Seems like you remember more about that, Tsuna." He said.

At the sound of his name, Tsuna flinched and stilled instantly. Still avoiding both Rikuo and Zen's eyes, he gave a slow and reluctant nod. "Y-Yeah." He said quietly as he looked into his cup of steaming medicine. When only silence followed, Zen prompted, "How much?"

Tsuna gave a wry smile that somehow didn't seem to fit on his features. He should have been giving a smile that was vibrant and bright, and made others believe they belonged by his side. Just like the smile that Rikuo, and all who carried the Nurarihyon bloodline held. That distorted look had no place on the face of his sworn little brother, who he had bonded to through sakazuki exchange. "Enough to know… I'm not as human as I thought I was." He answered, his stutter disappearing as his voice became soft. That infuriating smile was still there, and Zen was becoming rather close to snapping and just slap the look off his face.

The look of wonder had faded from Rikuo's expression, though there were still thoughts on telling everyone back at the main house he had actually used yōkai powers for the first time. Maybe his grandfather would be more willing to give him the title of Third when finds out. But that subtle tone that was hidden inside of Tsuna's voice… Something about it made Rikuo forget his thoughts of yōkai, and concentrate on his cousin. "Tsuna… Only a half of our blood is yōkai. We still have a human part of ourselves, and right now, we _are_ human."

Still, Tsuna didn't meet Rikuo's gaze. "That's not true," He said, "Between the three of us; you're the one with the most human blood. Uncle was a hanyō, like me. But…" Trailing off, Tsuna's grip on the cup tightened as he closed his eyes tightly. Rikuo and Zen exchanged a look, knowing what Tsuna was talking about.

Back 400 years ago when Rikuo's grandfather had defeated Hagoromo Gitsune and taken Tokyo, then called Edo, as his own territory. With his human wife, Yōhime, they had a hanyō child who eventually became the Second head of the Nura Clan, Nura Rihan. Though both he and Tsuna were similar, Rihan had been raised among yōkai since the day he was born, and he eventually took on the title of Second in order to protect both humans and yōkai, as his father had wanted to when he finally became the Supreme Commander of all spirits. On the other hand, Tsuna had no idea of the lineage of both his parents, and had no utter clue of his father's involvement in the most powerful mafia family in the world, nor of the sleeping power hidden deep within him through his mother and her position as a powerful yōkai and daughter of the Supreme Commander's brother and another human-turned yōkai who was powerful in her own right.

When suddenly thrust into a world where monsters he had only head of in folk tales actually _do_ exist, he had no idea where to turn, what to do, nor the laws that govern yōkai. Initially, he had been confused, scared, and just plainly wanted to go back to the human world where he was safe, and he could place his feet firmly on the ground. But once Rikuo, and through him Zen, had warmed up to him and played with him, he could feel that kinship start to form, and his fear toward yōkai slowly disappeared. Eventually, he didn't mind the yōkai at all, and was now beginning to see them as family like Rikuo did.

Despite all that, he had never once wished that he could become a yōkai like them. Sometimes he wished he had the courage to stand up to the bullies in his school, or the frightening appearance to keep the scary people in his neighbourhood away, but never to become a yōkai. He had seen numerous times how his classmates treated those that were different from themselves, and he didn't want that to happen to him. He also didn't want to lose any potential friends he might gain just because they discovered his non-human half, and shunned him for it. He wanted his friends to stay by him, and they wouldn't do that if they discovered the secret he would now have to desperately keep.

"Tsuna." Zen said firmly, laying a hand on Tsuna's should to make the brunette finally meet his eyes. "Just because you carry half of your mother's blood doesn't make you non-human. Your father is a complete human, right? And it was only yesterday that I found feel that yōkai power from you. Right now, to me, you are a complete and utterly human, and nothing else."

"And even if you weren't, we'd always stand by your side. We're family after all, right?" Rikuo added, giving the other brunette a blinding smile. "You are someone who is important to us after all."

Surprised, Tsuna looked between the two of them. Both of their eyes were firm and honest, and Tsuna knew he could trust them. They were his family, and his first friends as well, and he would protect them with everything he had, even if he was dying.

He was once more surprised when Zen and Rikuo suddenly fell backwards with a startled yelp, staring at Tsuna with wide eyes that were plainly reflecting the confused look on his own face. "W-What?" He asked, not understanding why he was getting such a strange reaction for doing nothing at all.

Raising a shaking hand, he pointed at Tsuna's face. "Y-Your head… It's on fire!"

"W-What are you talking about? I'm not on fire…" He trailed off as Rikuo scrambled up and fetched a hand mirror from one of the storage spaces. He stuck the mirror in front of Tsuna's face, and for a moment Tsuna just sat there, staring at his reflection. The next, the cup flew out of his hand as he scrambled to get away as quickly as possible, shrieking loudly in surprise and fear. He raised a shaky hand toward his forehead, scared of burning himself, but needing confirmation that it really is there. But when he felt nothing but the soft locks of his bushy hair, a quick glance through his bangs revealed the fire had disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

"Wha… What happened?" Zen said, completely baffled as to what had just happened. He had never heard of any yōkai that had that sort of ability. So maybe this was some sort of human ability…? But that was impossible; humans were incapable to doing such acts other than onmyouji, and no yōkai in the right mind would go and marry one. Heck, even crazy ones wouldn't marry one unless they had some sort of death wish.

Instead of feeling disturbed and confused as the other two were, Rikuo was feeling quite curious about the strange flame. "Ne, Tsuna, what was that? Was that some kind of cool yōkai ability? It looked so awesome! Can you do it again?" He gushed, the bright and sparkly look returning to his brown eyes.

Already feeling tired just looking into Rikuo's energetic expression, Tsuna shook his head. "I don't even know how I even _did_… what it was I did."

"You know, just go _whoosh_!" Rikuo said, spreading his hands around him as he tried to imitate a fire. Tsuna started to giggle at Rikuo's 'fire' expression, and Zen could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as well. Before long, all three of them were laughing uproariously, holding their sides as they rolled across the floor, Tsuna's mysterious head flame forgotten.

* * *

><p>The three of them were sitting on the veranda as they watched the moon start to slowly rise into the sky. This would be the last time they would be together until the summer, and that was a long ways away for the three of them. So for now, they were content with sitting with each other, enjoying the little time together left before they went their separate ways until they could finally meet again and play.<p>

"This… Is the last time, huh?" Rikuo said, finally breaking the silence.

Tsuna nodded, "Until we see each other again in the summertime." His face started to scrunch up as he felt like crying, not wanting to separate from the people he felt closest to.

"Rikuo, Tsuna," Zen said, catching their attention. "I think it would be best if we kept the fact you both transformed a secret, other than the Supreme Commander and Mama."

Instantly, Rikuo started to complain about the idea. "Eeeh? Whyyy? I can finally tell kids in my class about my powers, like Grandpa's."

Zen shook his head. "No, for your safety, I think it would be safer if you two said nothing of what happened on the mountain."

The shy brunette twitched slightly, unnerved by the hidden meaning in his sentence. "W-What do you mean?"

"The both of you are of relation to the Supreme Commander, meaning that there are four of you who are potential candidates for the position of the next head of the Nura Clan." Zen explained.

"Four…? But there is only Aunty, me, and Tsuna… Who's the fourth?" Rikuo said, counting on his fingers to make sure he was getting the right number.

Zen scratched the back of his head. "Well, there is also Tsuna's grandfather, who is the elder brother of your grandfather, the Supreme Commander."

"If Grandpa is Great Uncle's brother, then why didn't Grandpa take the position as head when Uncle died?" Tsuna asked, not understanding. "And Mama... Why didn't anyone go look for Mama before?"

For a moment, the bird yōkai was silent as he tried to remember what his father had told him during that situation years ago. "Your grandfather doesn't like to be tied down to a place too long. I guess you could say he's a drifter…? He's never in one place for very long, and it's nearly impossible to track him down. If he doesn't want to be found, then he won't be found. Mama, well. I guess she took after her father. It was hard to find her, and I don't think anyone knew she was still around." Zen shook his head back and forth. "Most yōkai had assumed they died somehow, as we never received word of them other than their condolences when the Second… passed on. We never even knew you existed until you appeared out of nowhere with your mother."

Rikuo still looked confused, placing a hand under his chin. "I don't get it… That doesn't explain why they wouldn't want the title of head."

Zen sighed. "According to my Father, members of Tsuna's yōkai line did not want any position of power. Of course, they were powerful enough or they wouldn't be considered, but they didn't want to involve themselves with it. Apparently, they didn't want to deal with any of the paperwork. They repeatedly told them that they wouldn't have to do that, but they refused each time."

"Paperwork? What's that? Is that a yōkai group?" Rikuo asked, unfamiliar with the word.

The khaki haired teen scratched his chin as he thought up a definition that would be best understood by two eight year old boys. "To sum it up, you could say its homework." He said.

Rikuo's expression melted into amusement as he laughed. "Homework? That's it? That's not quite so bad."

Though he didn't share Rikuo's opinion, Tsuna silently agreed. Becoming a leader of all the spirits in Japan and just doing homework wasn't a bad deal, though he still wouldn't do it either. Something just told him that it _really_ wasn't a good idea to take that kind of just for 'homework.'

"It's not that simple." Zen said, waving his hand. "Paperwork is much more complicated than that, and it usually deals with all kinds of business within the clan."

"Don't the yōkai at the house just party and drink sake all day long?" Rikuo asked, thinking that the main house was all to the Nura Clan.

Zen mentally made a note to tell Karasu to educate Rikuo more in things involving the Nura Clan. If he was to be the next head of the Clan, he had to learn that the Nura clan territory was much, much larger than their town of Tokyo. It was just during this peacetime that yōkai just lazed around and partied all day. Rikuo would be angry for a while, since Karasu was such a nagger and nit-picky on making sure Rikuo knew all the details, but he would appreciate it in the future when he strove to become the leader of all the yōkai territories.

"There are clans that are under the Nura clan, and have different jobs. Some are like mine, where we supply medicine to the main house. Others take care of the financial needs of the clan, earning money from humans and yōkai alike from different forms of business." Zen explained.

Still, Tsuna couldn't quite see the connection between 'homework' and those jobs. "I don't see why…" He trailed off.

"Most likely, you two don't get a lot of homework at school, am I correct?" Zen asked. Rikuo gave a nod, while Tsuna's was much more reluctant. "Well, imagine that kind of stuff, but much, much more. Enough work to fill an _entire_ room. And that's just for half a day's worth of business. Luckily, yōkai deal with only that small amount. I've heard that some human leaders have to deal with twice as much, and in some cases, they even need to continue filling them out even after they quit, or whatever it is that humans do."

Horror now filled the faces of both boys. "W-Why do they have so much more?" Tsuna asked, feeling sympathetic towards those poor souls condemned to do homework for the rest of their lives. He can barely finish his, and was in still in primary school! He could only imagine the work that adults like his parents would have to do…

"Well, for groups like, I don't know, a mafia I guess," Zen said, picking a group from off the top of his head, "They have probably ten times the amount an average human boss has to do. Most humans are destructive, for some reason, and they usually feel the need to destroy property that, more often than not, belongs to them. The boss would have to fill out paperwork to have repairs done, make sure the work such as wiring, or water pipes are done, and the like. On top of that, they would have to sign papers to accept aligning their group with another, and sign mission papers for their subordinates. There is much more that they need to do in regard to 'homework,' but that's all I think you should know for now. Between us, I think being a yōkai boss is much better than being a human boss."

The two of them nodded vigorously, and made a mental promise to themselves that they would never involve themselves in human businesses. It seemed like an absolute nightmare to be a human boss, especially one for a mafia. If somehow they had no choice, they vowed to struggle to the end before being cursed with 'homework.'

"I think it's time you two head back to the main house, it's late and I don't need your families coming after my head for sending you back in the dark." Zen said, standing them up and leading them to Oboro-Guruma, who had been waiting for quite a while. "Make sure you come to Ukiyo when the summer comes; I'll be waiting there with Tsuna. Got it?"

Though obviously sad that he wouldn't be seeing his older brother for a few months, Tsuna allowed for a small smile to stretch across his lips as he nodded. They climbed into Oboro-Guruma, and waved Zen goodbye until he was a mere speck before being swallowed up in the darkness.

As they flew through the night, all that could be heard was the faint whistling of the wind as it glided smoothly around them, and the soft sound of Rikuo's breathing as he slept. Tsuna figured it was most likely because the alcohol finally affecting him. His hangover hand faded, and there was only a slight discomfort in his stomach, but nothing he couldn't bear. He hadn't even noticed that at some point in their travels, Tsuna had transformed once more into his yōkai form.

A loud crunching noise was suddenly heard below them, followed by several booms of some type of explosive. Tsuna peered over the edge of the cart, rather curious about the source of the noise. The noise… it sounded oddly familiar to him, like the sound of fireworks back in Nanimori during festivals. But there was no festival that he knew of that would be happening, and certainly none would be held in the forest where it was easy to catch fire and burn down a large area.

"Oi, Oboro-Guruma," He called, "Land somewhere close by, I'm going to go investigate the sound." And so saying, he jumped off into the cold air, and fell smoothly into the darkness below. He landed on the ground softly, his fall cushioned by the undergrowth that had grown through the years. He straightened and looked around, trying to identify where the sound was coming from. If a fire caught and became to blaze through, many of the valuable herbs Tsuna knew that Zen harvested would be destroyed and the bird yōkai would be absolutely livid.

_BOOM!_

Whipping his head toward the sound of the explosion instantly, he began to dash nimbly between the trees, weaving through them with ease. Suddenly, he tripped over a large object that had slipped his notice, and he was sent flying. He crashed a meter away, his chin landing painfully first into the dirt. Tsuna groaned as he sat up, his spine popping at the unfamiliar movement, and wincing as he rubbed his chin. There were some light cuts, but nothing too dangerous. He was lucky there were not sharp rocks there, or he would definitely need some stitches. He turned around to get a look at the offending object, and was surprised to see what had tripped him.

It was the boy that he had met back on the mountain yesterday, Hayato. He was wearing fancy western clothing as he had yesterday, though it was mussed up once again due to him running away from someone. Tsuna wondered if it was fate that they met again in a place like this.

"Hey, kid, are you alright?" He asked, deciding that was most important.

Hayato moaned and got up from where he had been laying on the ground. He held a hand on his stomach where Tsuna's foot made contact with his body, and gave the best glare he could without wincing in pain. "What do you think, stupid? You kicked me in the side!" He snarled.

Not perturbed in the slightest, Tsuna waved him off. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't see you there. What are you doing out here, anyways? Weren't you on a mountain much further away yesterday?"

"Yesterday…?" The boy muttered, his brows furrowing as he tried to examine the person more carefully. The trees blocked most of the moonlight, but it was enough for the boy to see Tsuna's orange hair and orangey reddish hued eyes. "Y-You! You're that guy from yesterday!" He yelled, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you think that's rude for someone you've just met?" Tsuna asked, looking around for whoever was chasing Hayato. He figured it might be his sister, but it could be someone else. "By the way, whatever happened to that guy that was chasing you?"

Confusion filled Hayato's face, unsure what he was asking. "Bianchi?"

Tsuna raised a brow. "Is that the rude guy with the gun?"

Recognition flittered into Hayato's face, and he gave a smirk. "Oh, that guy? My father dealt with him appropriately."

Tsuna looked at him surprised, not used to seeing someone of his age being so cruel to someone like that. He had a suspicion on what he meant by 'appropriately,' but he decided to leave it. He didn't need to have a nauseous stomach again by hearing what they did to him. "How old are you? You don't seem the age to talk like that."

"Don't look down on my like that! I'm going to be a respectable Mafioso when I grow up!" yelled the boy because of his own pride that had been stung more than a little. Maybe he should try doing more adult things so he seems older. "I'll take you on right now!"

Instead of drawing his wakizashi from within his kimono, he just stared at the silver haired boy in front of him impassively. He could already tell that though the boy was used to using explosives as a weapon, he had a few that he would drop around him instead of at the enemy, and he could easily dodge the projectiles. "I can already see plenty of openings in your stance, not to mention your own weapon would blow you up as well. You're still much too early to fight against me."

"Why you…!" Hayato snarled, pulling out a lighter and igniting all the dynamite in his hand despite Tsuna's protests. "I'll show you what Smokin' Bomb Hayato is capable of!" He threw the bombs at Tsuna in a rage, but he didn't see two sticks of dynamite drop from his hand and drop his feet, hissing as the wick sizzled shorter and shorter.

Annoyed at being ignored by the other, Tsuna dashed forward and grabbed Hayato by the collar, running out of the area as fast as possible. Not long after, the bombs that would have blown Hayato up exploded, leaving a large plume of smoke in its wake. Tsuna sighed as he watched it from a nearby tree, already hearing the rant Zen was sure to give him if he found out there was an explosion in his forest, and that he was involved in it. Beside him, Hayato was panting after screaming bloody murder as he was unceremoniously pulled behind Tsuna like a rag doll, and thrown up into a tree.

"What is wrong with you? What kind of idiot tosses people up in trees?" He yelled, angry and feeling his pride stomped on even more.

The yōkai looked at him surprised, as though he hadn't noticed he had dragged Hayato with him. "That's not something you should say to someone who saved you, you know."

Hayato snapped, "I didn't need saving! I was just fine there; I planned to do that!"

Tsuna looked at the Hayato's green eyes, deciding it would be best to give him some advice lest he blew himself up with that dynamite of his the next time. "If you want to actually beat me with those, you need to take better care of yourself first."

Surprised to receive advice from the other instead of a snappy reply that most others in Mafia would do, Hayato just sat there speechless as he processed what Tsuna had said. He opened his mouth to retort, but closed it with a click as he found that there was nothing he could say in reply. It was true, he should take more care of himself, but he had decided it was good enough that he could send more damage to the enemy than himself. "What does someone like you care for? As long as I get rid of the enemy, that's good enough." He huffed, crossing his arms.

Using quick speed, Tsuna appeared behind Hayato, punching him on the back of the skull. "Oww!" He groaned. "What did you do that for? Agh… That hurts a lot…"

"You need more respect for your life," Tsuna said, his fist still poised to hit Hayato if he protested once again. "A brat like you shouldn't be so reckless. You look about the same age as me; shouldn't you be playing with other kids instead of little sparklers like those?"

"I don't need friends!" Hayato shot defensively, "I'm going to be an awesome Mafia boss like my father! And then I'll be powerful enough to defeat everyone!"

Tsuna gazed into Hayato's eyes for a moment, and then dropped to stare at the ground. "Power isn't everything, you know. I've been alone for much of my life, and the friends I gained here are more valuable to me than any amount of power." Hayato flinched as the yōkai returned his sharp orangey red eyes to stare deeply into his eyes. "You should find people who will value you as a friend, not power."

Hayato opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off by the voice of a girl calling somewhere not far away, "Hayato~! Where are yoouuu~?"

"Gah! Big Sis!" Hayato paled, and gulped nervously. He had forgotten she was searching for him, and was probably close by as the bombs were very loud, and there were no other noises in the forest. If she found him, then he would… he would….

Wordlessly watching Hayato's expression changed from surprise, fear, exasperation, then back to fear in a matter of moments, Tsuna had to suppress a smirk that wanted to make its way onto his face. It was amusing, to say the least, though he had no idea why Hayato would be afraid of his own sister. Maybe it was one of those 'girl' things that Rikuo had told him about. He had felt horror at what they could do as well, and he was very glad that he was an only child at that point. "Do you know somewhere you can hide?" He asked.

Looking at Tsuna as if he was stupid, the silver headed child hissed, "Where is there to hide? She's too close to run, and there's no place in his damn forest to hide in!"

"If there is nowhere to hide," Tsuna started, before disappearing and Hayato found himself suddenly on Tsuna's back, piggy-back style. "Then we just run."

Immediately knowing the futility of the effort, Hayato protested against the idea. "She's just going to find us faster! Put me down! Damn you!" He was surprised at Tsuna's apparent strength, as he was able to carry Hayato and look like he was carrying nothing. Most other boys that he knew of struggled to lift such a weight at this age, and didn't concentrate their strength until later, after they finish academic studies and the like. But no person he knew was like this boy, who had hair that was as brightly colored orange as the Sky Flames, and eyes that were reminiscent of the setting sun.

He nearly shrieked as Tsuna dashed forward with inhuman speed, sprinting in the opposite direction Hayato's sister's voice had come from. He seemed able to run through the darkness, though small twigs and leaves still brushed their faces as they passed, leaving naught but a breeze in their wake. He was sure now; no human had this type of appearance or this type of agility and strength at such a young age. The way he spoke seemed older than he really was, and was a bit deeper than it should be for an average boy. And the way he seemed to navigate his way around the forest with only the faint moonlight streaming through the trees was impossible when he ran so fast, it almost felt like he had stuck his head out of a car window. This person must be…

"An U.M.A…" Hayato murmured in wonder.

With most of the wind sweeping into Tsuna's ear, he only heard the last part of Hayato's word. "What was that?" He asked, turning his head slightly to look at Hayato from the corner of his eye.

Fearing they may crash into a tree and be caught by his sister; Hayato smacked Tsuna on the side of the head. "Watch where you're going! Do you want to run into a tree or something?"

Tsuna huffed. "I _know_ where I'm going, boy. I've been in this area before. Haven't you noticed that the trees are getting thinner? We're close to a town I know of."

Surprised that they had reached some sort of civilization so quickly, Hayato took a quick survey of his surroundings with the limited vision that he had. What the U.M.A. person said was true; there weren't as many trees, and he could very faintly hear the sounds of cars ahead of them. Where they this close already? The mansion they had been staying at was a large distance away from any town, in order to prevent any other enemy families from finding them. He hadn't run very far, as he was already weakened by his sister's experiments (read: attempts to kill him) before he managed to escape to the forest surrounding the mansion.

He was now even more convinced this 'boy' was some sort of U.M.A. that had decided to assist him and might even take him to others of his kind, and teach him the ways of their species. He was rather disappointed when they arrived at the town Tsuna had been talking about rather quickly, and it was a small human village rather some kind of secret U.M.A. society.

"Alright, you should be alright here for now. I'm sure you have some way to get back to wherever you came from, so I'll be heading back now." Tsuna said, turning around back into the forest.

Unwilling to let his first U.M.A. leave so quickly, Hayato called, "Wait!"

Though he didn't turn to face Hayato, Tsuna stopped where he was as he waited to hear what the other wanted to say. "Who are you? Why did you save me?"

"Is that all?" Tsuna smirked, turning around. He remembered Zen's warning about keeping his abilities as a yōkai a secret, and he mentally scrambled to give a passable name that wouldn't really be a lie to someone he considered could be his friend. "You can call me… Satsu. Don't friends have each other's backs?" He smirked, and disappeared while Hayato just stared at him in surprise with his jaw dropped.

* * *

><p>"You took your time back," A voice mused from the shadows of the moon-lit yōkai cart. The source of the voice walked into the patch of white light, revealing it to be Rikuo in his yōkai form. His crimson eyes seemed rather bored as a smirk was visible on his face, his long white and black hair waving about in the light breeze. He had crossed his arms, his whole posture almost seeming as though he was going to scold Tsuna.<p>

"Ah, you woke up? Sorry about that, I saw someone I know and I went to say hello." Tsuna replied, climbing back into the cart. Once he was safely inside, Oboro-Guruma took off to the skies once more, leaving nothing but a swirl of leaves to show evidence that they were ever there.

Rikuo raised a brow. "Someone you know? Who could you possibly know outside of the Nura clan?"

Tsuna shrugged, "Someone not from the Nura clan maybe?" He suggested. He smirked when Rikuo scowled. "Alright... Alright. It was a human that I met when we were on the mountain yesterday."

"And the shy you managed to become friends with him? Wow, never imagined little 'Dame-Tsuna' would be able to make a friend so easily." Rikuo chuckled.

Tsuna didn't reply as he stared out into the night, in deep thought. Seeing as there was something on his mind, Rikuo stopped laughing. "What's wrong?"

"Back on the mountain yesterday," Tsuna started, pausing as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "When I met my friend, he and his sister were being chased."

"By what? A bear? A dog?" Rikuo asked, not knowing what he was saying.

The orange haired yōkai shook his head. "No, he was being chased by this man. And… He seemed like he wanted to hurt them… He had this gun with him, and he hurt them both. I used the salve Zen gave me to heal them, but… I never thought that…" He sighed. "I never thought there were humans who could be cruel like that."

For a few moments, all was silent in Oboro-Guruma other than the whistling sound of the wind. Then, Rikuo spoke. "You know, we live in a world of darkness. I discovered on the mountain yesterday, too, that there aren't always yōkai who will not attack humans." His eyes hardened as he remembered the tree yōkai he had encountered yesterday. "That's why we have to be there to protect them."

Tsuna shook his head, his face grim. "But how are we supposed to protect them? We're only eight years old. No matter how hard we try, how are we supposed to protect all the humans from other humans and yōkai?"

"Then we'll just have to become stronger, and become the leaders of human and yōkai kind, and be able to keep everyone safe." Rikuo's eyes sparked as his voice started to become more confident. "Kana, mother, and everyone else are important to me. And I will never forgive anyone who makes themselves an enemy of humans! I will become the Third Master of all spirits, and all yōkai will heed my call to join my Hyakki Yakō!"

Tsuna looked at Rikuo, awe-stricken by his declaration. He regretted it was most likely he wouldn't remember saying such a thing, though he would still strive for this goal nevertheless. If he could say this while in yōkai form to the clan, Tsuna was sure that many of them would join him and help him protect the humans. "If you say that, I'm sure that many yōkai will join you."

"What about you?" Rikuo asked, "What are you going to do?"

For a moment, Tsuna thought about that. He wasn't quite so sure he liked the idea of joining Rikuo's Hyakki Yakō. Not he had anything against Rikuo, but he still felt he didn't belong in the yōkai world that his yōkai family grew up in. "I'll stay behind the scene, and be your eyes in the human world. Someone has to keep an eye for anything strange, and as half human myself, I think I would be the best choice."

"Hiding away from the yōkai world just like the rest of your family?" Rikuo thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright. It's best to have someone among the humans to know what's going on." He grinned.

"Only a yōkai like you would hide," Tsuna returned, mirroring Rikuo's grin.

"A part of you is the same type as me," Rikuo replied in turn.

The two shared a small chuckle before comfortable silence sank in. The two would miss each other once Tsuna returned home as well, though both would ask their families to visit each other often. They and Zen had formed a bond together in their short time together, and wanted to keep in touch for the years to come.

"Tsuna." Rikuo said suddenly, surprising the other yōkai.

"What?" Tsuna replied, turning to him.

When Rikuo didn't reply, Tsuna thought he had only imagined it and turned away when Rikuo spoke once again. "I want you to do something for me. For when you return to Nanimori."

Surprised, though intrigued, Tsuna quipped, "You, asking a favor of me? That's a surprise. What is it?"

"I _will_ become the Third. However, I need to get the other heads of the country to acknowledge me, and get Gramps to give me the title as well." Rikuo said, "It could take some time, but I will take the title someday. I absolutely will not allow a yōkai that is an enemy of humans to become the leader of all spirits."

Knowing what Rikuo was saying, Tsuna waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. I know. You already gave that speech back at Zen's. What does it involve Nanimori?"

"Once I become the Third, I need yōkai who are loyal to me to join me." Rikuo said, "And you are one of them."

Annoyed, Tsuna didn't reply immediately. He was sure that Rikuo already knew his choice on the matter, so why was he going on about it again? "I told you already, I'm going to watch the human world. I can't be helping you in your Hyakki Yakō if I'm watching the humans at the same time."

Rikuo grinned, looking almost like a cat that's cornered a mouse. "And that's what I want to ask of you. As a leader, we will be stronger if we had loyal subordinates; our own group, so to speak."

The oranged haired boy raised a brow, starting to see where Rikuo was going with this. He sighed, knowing that it was inevitable. Once Rikuo had his mind on something, there was no changing it. "And you want me to form my own Hyakki Yakō with the yōkai in Nanimori, right?"

Rikuo shook his head, surprising Tsuna. "No, I want you to make a Hyakki Yakō of whoever you think would be good for the group, human or yōkai."

Tsuna scoffed. "And what do you want me to do with them? Who knows how long it'll take for the other leaders to acknowledge you?"

Not letting the future deter him, Rikuo pressed on. "You can protect both humans and yōkai in the town, since Nanimori is still in Nura clan territory. It's quite far from here, so I need someone to watch over the area until I take the title, and become the Supreme Commander. I'll get them to acknowledge me, and Gramps always said he would pass the title down to me when I developed my yōkai powers."

Running out of arguments, Tsuna decide to accept defeat. And it wasn't such a bad idea; to protect his precious home, and the humans who are important to him, even if most of them were mean to him most of the time. "Fine, I'll watch over them." He grumbled, "Until you become the Third. But you have a long way ahead of you before yōkai like Hitotsume accepts you."

Grinning widely now, Rikuo slapped Tsuna's shoulder heartily. "Don't worry about it, it's my problem and I'll deal with him somehow. Just concentrate on making that family of yours. I'm relying on you to gather up powerful yōkai to protect Nanimori."

"Yeah, yeah," Tsuna grumbled, turning away as a faint red tint made its way across his cheeks.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry I didn't post this last week, this turned out to be much longer than I thought it would take. Hence, this chapter being rather late. Also, I'm planning out another story, so I've been a little preoccupied.

Just to note, this is 'the end' (not really) and I will be doing a time skip. Use your imagination on how Tsuna and Nana got back home LOL


	11. Chapter 10

When Nana and Tsuna returned to Nanimori with Iemitsu, Nana had been fully expecting that their life would resume to a normal human life that she had hoped her son would live in. She had initially been worried, as they had been staying at the Nura clan main house for several weeks, and had thought that Tsuna would retain some of the yōkai traits he had shown during his stay. But to her relief, she found that he acted as he had before they left.

Currently, she was preparing to make lunch with Iemitsu and Tsuna playing together in the yard, as they always did when Iemitsu came home once in a blue moon. The boy had loved playing with his father, even if he didn't really see him as such. After Tsuna had been born, Iemitsu's visits back home from 'work' became shorter and shorter, with the gap in between becoming longer and longer. Nana worried that her son wouldn't see him as a father when he grew older, but the boy had loved Iemitsu just the same, and greeted him brightly whenever he returned home.

Right now, she could hear Tsuna and Iemitsu's playful cries drift through the open door while she stood by the stove, a soft smile on her lips as she listened.

"Hahaha, higher, Papa!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Higher!"

Tsuna's shrieking laughter as his father threw him up higher in the air made both parents laugh as well. Even if Iemitsu and Nana is a loving couple, having Tsuna in their lives made them feel like a complete family.

"Even if he has to leave…" Nana muttered softly to herself, the smile vanishing quickly and was replaced by a sad expression. She quickly replaced the smile on her face as she heard her family decide to come in for lunch, with the delicious aroma of food drifting outside making their stomachs grumble hungrily. "Hello, dear," She greeted, giving Iemitsu a peck on the cheek and Tsuna a kiss on the forehead.

Tsuna beamed up at her, "Is lunch ready yet, Mama?" He asked.

His mother shook her head and patted his spiky hair. "Not yet, Tsu-kun. Why don't you go wash up while I get the food ready?" She smiled, watching her son dash out of the room before crashing into some unknown object. He had called back he was fine before she heard a door slam. She chuckled, "My, I wonder where he gets it from?" She said wistfully, her hand resting on her cheek.

She could feel Iemitsu's strong arms wrap around her waist as his head rested on her shoulder. "Us. We _are_ his parents." He replied.

At his words, Nana felt a little proud of herself. She had helped bring her precious son in the world, and never felt any regret for it. Nana still wished that his heritage did not lean so heavily on his future, however, but knew that there was nothing either could do about it. They could just hope that he would be strong enough to face them, and come out as a stronger person for it.

Nana twisted around in Iemitsu's arms a little, turning to look at Iemitsu. "Dear, could you go out and get Tsu-kun's favourite drink? We've run out, and I have to make sure the food doesn't burn."

"Of course, I will be back soon!" Ietmisu replied, his tone becoming gooey as he winked roguishly at his darling wife. Nana giggled back and batted her eyelashes coyly at her husband as he left. Tsuna would have been glad not to see this; it was always rather odd to walk in on them when they were all close and speaking to each other about how much they loved each other. He'd always tried his best to escape before one of them caught him and he was pulled into the love-fest as well.

Once Nana heard the front door click shut, she had turned back to her cooking. She hummed a song from when she was a little girl, and heard the slight creak of the bathroom door open, and the light pound of footsteps run down the hall back to the kitchen. "Mama!" crowed her son upon entering the kitchen, and upon seeing his mother, beamed up at her a bright smile. He looked around for a moment, before his smile melted into confusion. "Where's Papa?"

"He went out to get your favourite juice. He won't be long, so just sit and wait until lunch is ready, alright?" Nana said.

Tsuna climbed onto a chair nearby and watched his mother hum a song that he himself was familiar with, looking at her with a curious expression.

When he had been at the Nura clan main house, he had heard from several yōkai that Nana was a leader of her own Hyakki Yakō. He hadn't been very clear on the subject, so he had gone to the only two people he knew would tell him what they knew and wouldn't tell his mother about it: Rikuo and Zen.

The excited brunette had told him what he knew about a Hyakki Yakō, and Tsuna was shocked to see that every yōkai living in the household, not counting Zen, Nurarihyon and Nana, were all part of the Nura clan's Hyakki Yakō. Many had joined during Nurarihyon's time, but there were also a number of yōkai that had joined during Rihan's era as well. Tsuna was amazed to see that his uncle and great uncle had the ability to control so many yōkai, as well as having their respect.

The poisonous bird yōkai had gone into a little more detail, explaining to Tsuna the idea of a Hyakki Yakō, and answering any questions the boy had. He explained the importance for a leader to have followers that were willing to follow him and the leader's ability to call yōkai to follow him. The explanation left Tsuna believing that he would be someone who would follow under Rikuo's banner of fear, since he didn't have the confidence himself to make others follow him.

Now that he thought about it, he was rather curious about Nana's Hyakki Yakō. Rikuo didn't even know Nana had one, and he was sure none of the others would dare tell him lest they incur Nana's wrath. Zen had advised him that if he really wanted to know, he should ask her himself, but when it was just the two of them alone. Seeing as how his father was gone, it was likely the best chance he had, since he had no idea what would happen once Iemitsu was gone and the secret was out.

"Mama," He started cautiously, doing his best to give Nana the most innocent expression he could muster. "Do you have a..."

Nana turned around to look at her son, her brow raised slightly. "A…?" She repeated.

The timid brunette shifted in his chair slightly. He was nervous, as he knew just as well as other people what Nana was like the rare times she was angry. "U-Um... That is... A... _DoyouhaveaHyakkiYakō_!" He blurted out in a rush, his eyes squeezing shut as he braced himself. When nothing happened, he cracked open an eye and took a peek at his mother. Rather than annoyance, worry or any other expression, she was smiling at him in amusement. "Tsu-kun, I don't understand what you say unless you slow down." She said.

"R-Right…" Tsuna replied, shifting a lot more now. It didn't matter that Nana was encouraging him, or he had a lot more courage than he had before leaving to the Nura house. He was still frightened about her reaction. "Do you… Have a…" He started, and then hesitated. Steeling himself, he squeaked out, "Hyakki Yakō…?"

For a moment, it was very silent in the house. Tsuna took a peek at his mother, and felt relieved to see that the smile she had was still there. As the minute ticked by, however, he started to feel alarmed when it didn't drop, nor did she make any other movement. Upon closer inspection, Tsuna was horrified to see a tick mark starting to appear on Nana's brow and knew instantly what it was she was thinking. Despite the panic in his mind, a little voice still managed to complain that he should have taken Zen's advice and given the question a little more tact.

"Too late now…" Tsuna grumbled, waiting for his mother's reaction. It didn't take very long; Iemitsu wasn't at home to keep her façade on, but she loved her son too much to blow up as she would properly _when she found out which bastard told her son about her Hyakki Yakō._

* * *

><p>Somewhere far in the distance, Nurarihyon was drinking tea with Hihi. The ape yōkai had disappeared off to the kitchen to fetch some cakes to he had brought along to go with their tea, and had left the Supreme Commander alone to his thoughts. As he drank his tea, he spluttered as he sneezed mid-sip, and sneezed again and again.<p>

"Oh my, catching a cold, Commander?" Hihi said, entering the room with the cakes.

Nurarihyon wiped his face clean of the tea, replying, "No, I think that niece of mine found out I told her son about her Hyakki Yakō."

"Is that so? I expect she'll come to see you straight away when she is close by." Hihi replied evenly, picking up one of the cakes. "She's much better at detecting **Fear** now than she used to, especially yours."

"That's why I asked Zen to give Tsuna advice on subtlety. The boy's as dense as a rock." Nurarihyon grinned.

* * *

><p>Staring at the shaking knife in Nana's white-knuckled grip, Tsuna shifted uneasily in his chair. Of course, he had seen Nana angry before. But they had been over petty things, such as when Tsuna tried to discreetly throw his vegetables in the garbage, or when he hid the entire mess that was his room in his closet, or when he had placed a clear wrap over Iemitsu's picture and doodled on it. Alright, maybe she was very angry over the incident, but none of those times could equal the amount of rage and intense feeling of <strong>Fear<strong> rolling off of Nana in waves. He wondered if even his uncle could feel it way over from wherever he was.

"Tsuna~…" Nana began, and Tsuna flinched at the deceptively warm and gentle tone. "Who was it that told you about a Hyakki Yakō?"

The young boy began to sweat as he shook like a leaf and was looking everywhere but at Nana's direction. "U-Um... I-I j-just heard a-about it a-at the m-main house." He stuttered out, little pools of tears starting to form at the corner of the Tsuna's eyes. The poor boy was a horrible liar, though he was too adorable when he made the effort to. Nana was sidetracked for a moment wondering if that was going to carry on into Tsuna's adulthood. She nearly squealed at the thought of her adorable little child growing up still with all the cuteness he had been born with.

"Mama?"

A light gasp flew from Nana's lips and her eyes widened as she was brought out of her sudden daydream. She shook her head slightly, and resumed her angry stare, thought it wasn't nearly as angry as it had moments ago.

Tsuna really didn't know whether or not he should be more afraid of this sudden change in mood, or be glad of it.

"Tsu-kun, I want an answer. And don't you _ever_ think that you can lie to me. I'm your _mother_." Nana said firmly. A faint rattling noise coming from the upper floor notified her that Iemitsu was coming home, and she was running out of time. She intensified her glare on Tsuna, resulting in the boy becoming a quivering wreck. She sighed, and gave up. "You may look like me, but you have your father's stubbornness. I'll let it go for now. But once your father is gone, you _will_ tell me who told you about my Hyakki Yakō. Understood?"

The boy nodded, and quickly scrambled out of his chair towards the door. Nana sighed and followed him out, wondering what he was running over for. She saw him reaching for the door, and quickly scolded him. "Tsu-kun! Don't open the door! There could be strangers outside!"

"But Papa's outside…" Tsuna replied, his eyes starting to turn watery.

Nana stared at him for a moment before, "If you manage to keep that look when you're older, you'll be able to beat any yōkai." She said dryly.

Tsuna blinked, not quite understanding what she meant. He tilted his head to the side slightly. "What do you mean?" He asked.

The yōkai shook her head, "It's nothing. Let's see if Papa's back yet, alright?" She said, reaching for the door that Tsuna had previously tried to open.

And right when she opened it, Iemitsu was standing right on the other side, the house key in his hand inches away from the door and he had a look of surprise on his face. "Nana~!" Iemitsu cried, flinging his arms open as he raced towards her. "Our bond is so strong now that we sense each other before we open the door now~!"

Trying to not get squashed by his father, Tsuna scrambled out of the way, except that he tripped on his father's food and smacked his head on the doorway, knocking him unconscious. Completely forgotten by his two lovey-dovey parents, closed the front door with their little Tsu-kun still passed out on the doorstep outside and completely unknowing of the world.

It was silent in the streets for a moment, as it was lunch time, and most of the people in the neighbourhood were indoors eating their meals before heading back outside for some fun before dusk set in. This meant that for the little tuna fish, there would be no one to help him.

Or was there…?

* * *

><p>"Hey... He's been out cold for a while now, hasn't he?" A voice whispered, sounding akin to the rattling of bones.<p>

Another voice spoke from nearby, "Yeah. But I'm sure Nana'll take care of him."

Yet another third voice joined in, scoffing, "I doubt that. Look! She's still being all gushy with that human of hers."

"Shush! She'll skin our hides if she hears that what we call him!" A fourth voice hissed and a smack was heard.

"Ugh! Do you have to hit so hard?" The third voice groaned, "Geeze, and your claws are still sharp too. Anyways, I highly doubt that she can; I haven't seen her in action since that brat was born."

"Quiet! We should be taking care of that 'brat' you know! He'll be the next one to lead us soon." A fifth voice butted in, sounding rather young compared to the others.

"How? He's a human. How's a human supposed to lead a band of yōkai?" The second voice asked, sounding sceptical.

The fifth voice sighed, "Well... If you don't believe me, go ask Zuki. Apparently, the kid managed to transform for the first time and defeated a full grown human assassin."

There was a round of gasps and they were rendered speechless for a few moments.

"What? Is it really that surprising?" A new voice purred, and one could almost _hear_ the smirk the yōkai was wearing.

"Zuki!" Someone cried, "Is it true? Did Nana's child _really_ transform when he went over to the Nura clan's main house? Did he _actually_ defeat something other than a bug?"

It was silent for a moment as Zuki purred; she really loved leaving the others in suspense. It just made things much more entertaining for her. "Well~ I suppose it is true…" She said finally.

"What do you mean, 'you suppose'? Did he or did he not, you stupid cat?!" The fifth voice growled out, sounding impatient. This was followed by a rather unmanly yelp and a heavy thud. There was a moment of silence as everyone absorbed what had happened.

Finally, the third voice said dryly, "You know, Kamui, once would think that you would know _not_ to get on Zuki's bad side after a hundred years."

"S-Shut up, Kioku!" Kamui groaned, feeling Zuki's weight (amongst other things) on his back. "Don't just standing there smugly! Help me, darn it!"

Kioku hummed, "Nope. I think I will help out Tsuna-kun. He's been unconscious for a little too long." And he disappeared, off to see how Tsuna was doing.

"Yeah, I think the rest of us will too." The others hummed, and followed after Kioku.

"D-Damn you! Don't leave me here!" Kamui wheezed, feeling like his chest was about to explode from the amount of weight sitting on his back.

"That's a rather rude thing to say, Ka-chan~... What's wrong with being alone with me? I'm just about to have a little sushi~..." Zuki purred right into Kamui's ear.

* * *

><p>It seemed that the little tuna fish had struck his head rather hard, as he had slept the day away and didn't wake up until the sun began to set. When he finally did awake, he was very disoriented from the harsh blow to the back of the head he had received. There was faint whispering in the room as the yōkai kept watch over the unconscious boy. The voices died away as they heard Tsuna's groans, indicating that he had slowly regaining his consciousness.<p>

He finally opened his eyes after a few minutes, looking in front of him unseeingly as his eyes were completely out of focus. After scrutinizing the ceiling for a moment, he finally managed to recognize that he was in his room, and that someone had put him in his bed while he was asleep. The hidden yōkai watched as the boy slowly start to sit up, only to stop and hiss in pain as the back of his head began to throb painfully.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Tsuna's head shot up at the unfamiliar voice, only to wince and curl up in his bed in pain as the pain stabbed straight into the back of his skull. It wasn't the best experience. "Oww…"

The voice sighed, "Told you."

Squinting in order to see the stranger through the pain, he could faintly see that it was a male with large… _things_… emerging from his back. He narrowed his eyes a little more, trying to identify the strange looking thing.

As though he had sensed what Tsuna was trying to do, the man reached over and flicked on the lights, filling the room with the bright white glow. Tsuna moaned and shielded his eyes as the sudden burst of light made the pain in his head even worse. He was quite sure that no pain he will _ever_ receive in his life will ever be as bad as this.

"Whoops... Maybe that wasn't the best thing to do..." The voice said apologetically, and flicked the lights back off. Tsuna heard footsteps before there was another click. "You can open your eyes now. I turned on the light on your desk."

Despite being told that, Tsuna decided it would be best to be cautious and make sure what the man said was actually true. He didn't need any more head trauma as it is. From beneath the blanket he had thrown over his head in an effort to keep the light out of his eyes, he slowly peeked out. Kioku couldn't help but compare him to a little rabbit, as the boy was very skittish. He could only see Tsuna's unruly brown hair and expressive brown eyes staring at him.

"You… You have… Wings?" Tsuna said, rather uncertain. Kioku could see the confusion swimming in his brown orbs, and chuckled at them. He fluffed out his two large wings, scattering feathers around the floor as he did so. "Yes, you are correct. I do have wings."

Kioku watched him for a moment, wanting to see how he would react. After watching the boy for eight years, he was quite certain that before his trip to the Nura clan, he would have shrieked loud enough to wake up the whole neighbourhood. Again. But now, he wasn't quite so sure. He wasn't there when Tsuna had transformed, so he had no real idea how he would react to meeting a yōkai in his own house.

Tsuna blinked, and slowly lowered the blanket. Kioku could see a look of utter concentration on his face, as though he was trying to decide whether to pick between a new toy and a treat. After a few minutes of examination, Tsuna decided that his head wouldn't hurt too much if he moved around, and got out of his bed. He continued to watch the winged man sitting in the chair by his desk, but the man didn't seem to want to harm him. In fact, there was almost a playful smile splayed across his face. When Tsuna finally got to his destination, he flicked on the light switch, filling the room with brilliant white light once more.

Now that he could see the man more clearly, he confirmed that there was, indeed, two large wings extending from his shoulder blades. But the strangest thing was, they weren't colors Tsuna normally saw on birds, or angels for that matter. Though Tsuna was too far away to see the details in the man's wings, he could tell that every feather was of a different color.

It was rather bizarre, since Tsuna had never known of any bird like creature having feathers like that. A bunch of the feathers fell away every few seconds, but the color was all drained away and left the feather clear and transparent. One drifted over to Tsuna, who reached out to grasp the plume. Unfortunately, the moment he touched it, the feather had disintegrated into dust. Looking back at the wings, he realized now that the color of the feather was ever-changing, as a feather was shed and another was immediately grown into place.

Taking a look at the man himself, Tsuna could tell he was younger than his parents, but older than Zen. His eyes were a curious shade of gold, though he had a feeling they could be as warm as liquid, or as cold as ice. His face wasn't too broad, and he still had a charming smile set in place.

Even though Tsuna had not seen many people in his life so far, he thought to himself that the man in front of him was probably the type of person that many girls would love to have with them right at this moment. His black hair was not too long, though there were long fringes that trailed down to his chin and reminded Tsuna of falling darkness. It was a strange thought, but he thought it was the best way to describe his hair.

Looking at the man as a whole, he noted that the man seemed rather well-built, though quite lean. Despite what the yōkai he had seen and the people around him wore, he wore rather different clothing that what he normally saw. It wasn't so much of civilian clothing, as it was a black loose fitting top that had a v-neck, showing off his well-toned yet pale chest. He had a long over coat that reached down to his calves that was a dark midnight blue color, with intricate designs wrapping around the sleeves and the hem. His pants were black and were comfortable looking, and he wore boots that seemed to meet the hem of his coat, and had many straps that made Tsuna wonder how he took the things off.

"Are you done observing me?" Kioku's amused voice reached his ears.

Blushing at being caught staring at a stranger, Tsuna snapped back and turned a deep crimson red. "S-Sorry." He stammered, trying to look anywhere but at the yōkai.

Instead of becoming angry, Kioku laughed. "Don't worry about it, many people have gazed on my beautiful face, and are instantly captivated." He said, sweeping back his hair with flourish.

"A-Actually," Tsuna muttered, "You look weirder than most of the yōkai or people I've ever seen." He swore he heard snickering coming from somewhere.

The winged man then turned a light pink himself, and coughed into his fist to regain his composure. "Ahem, yes, well, that's not the point here. How did you know that I was a yōkai?" He asked, wanting to know how much the boy actually knew before explaining himself.

Tsuna looked at him for a moment, tilting his head in contemplation. "Well," He started, sounding unsure. "I… I wasn't really sure. But… You look like Zen."

"I do not!" Kioku squawked indignantly, "I am much more handsome than that khaki haired bird!"

The little hanyō just stared at him blankly. "You act a lot like him too," He deadpanned. Now he was sure that he heard the voices, as there was an outright burst of laughter directed at the red faced yōkai.

"Haha, you might as well give up, Kioku. Anymore and your reputation is going to be gone for good, haha!" A voice crowed.

Another voice snickered, "I never thought I would see the day Kioku would get his looks tarnished by a little brat."

Still red, Kioku flapped his wings, bringing a strong wind into Tsuna's formerly tidy room. "Shut up! I just underestimated him, that's all."

On the other hand, Tsuna had fled back to the safety of his blanket as soon as he heard the voices begin to speak. He had learned that if you couldn't see where the voice was coming from, it was likely it wasn't a very safe being. And since he knew there was no where one could hide without being given away somehow, Tsuna knew that it was yōkai hiding somewhere in his room. He just hoped they were part of Nana's Hyakki Yakō.

Tsuna squealed as he felt the blanket being pulled away from his quivering body. "Hey, hey, calm down. We're not here to hurt you. Nana would have our hides if we did." A voice said, muttering the last part to himself.

Although he didn't feel that this new person wasn't dangerous or meant him any harm, Tsuna was really reluctant to let go of the only thing between him and this new creature. Despite the insistent tugs on the blanket, Tsuna clung to it with his white fists, and trying to wrap himself up more in it.

"I doubt that tugging on the blanket is going to get his trust. He's a very skittish boy, you should know that." He heard Kioku say dryly, "If you want him to come out, he has to do so himself. You know as well as I do that he has an uncanny ability to sense danger."

"Uncanny?" The other voice grumbled, releasing its hold on the blanket. "I'm sure that you know he gets that from his father's side of the family. Just look at the leader of their Hyakki Yakō!"

Another voice joined in this time, this one sounding rather feminine and husky. "Need I remind you, they're not called a Hyakki Yakō. The humans call them a 'mafia.'"

The other voice snarled back, "What do you know, Hanayome? You're always going around to—"

"Don't say that! Geeze, the brat's not old enough to know these things." Kioku snapped, pointing at the quivering bundle still hiding on the bed.

The other snorted. "As if he would understand. He's the dullest kid I've ever seen, and I've lived a long time."

Kioku was about to reply, when he spotted a brown fluff of hair and the brown eyes of Tsuna peeking out from under the blanket, much like he had when first talking to Kioku. Grabbing Hanayome and the other yōkai, he whispered, "Look! He's coming out!"

"What is he, a wild animal?" The other huffed. Hanayome giggled.

Watching the trio carefully, he noted that Kioku was wrapping his wings around two human looking yōkai at his side, firmly keeping them in place. The female of the trio didn't seem to mind, but the other certainly did. He kept brushing off the numerous amount of dust that kept falling on him due to Kioku's feathers. He finally gave up and huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

The female was a really busty looking woman, with snowy white hair that seemed very much like cobwebs. It was long and smooth, going down to her waist. Tsuna couldn't see her face very well, as she was covering her mouth with the sleeve of her furisode. But her face was very pale, almost matching the color of her hair. It was perfectly unblemished, and had tasteful makeup on her eyes that made her seem even paler. Her eyes were of the darkest black, without a hint of the smooth white that was normally seen in humans or other yōkai. Rather than alarming Tsuna, it seemed to give him a sense of calm and safety, despite the sense that he shouldn't be too comfortable with those eyes. Her furisode was of a deep crimson red, with thin black webs at the hem.

Switching his attention to the other being in his room, he felt a small twinge in disappointment that he seemed to just be a regular boy, albeit a bit older than he was now. He had long hair that appeared to be web and was a smoky grey color, but his youthful face prevented Tsuna from thinking he was old. It was tied up in a quick ponytail, and strands of his hair reaching his chin framed his strong looking face. His eyes were of a blue that reminded Tsuna of the ocean his mother took him to one time when he was young, but he had a faint impression that the strange boy's eyes _were_ the ocean. His face was slender and delicate, with high cheekbones that gave him a sharp looking face. He seemed to be glaring at the gushing winged yōkai, with a slight frown on his thin lips. Looking at him more closely, he seemed to have light bruises on his face, and the spot above his eye was tinged red and starting to swell. There were small circular marks on his arms, but it was largely covered by the long flowing earthy brown shirt he wore. He wore a simple forest green pair of pants that went down to his knees, and his feet were bare.

Deciding that they were no immediate threat, Tsuna slowly got out of the blanket he had cocooned himself in, and sat with his legs hanging over the edge of the bed. He felt a little intimidated at the three just _staring_ at him, but he scrutinized them more as the long silence started to stretch itself. "Are the three of you… Mama's Hyakki Yakō?" He asked after few more pauses.

"Hohoho, he is rather bright for someone his classmates call, 'Useless Tsuna.'" The female said, her eyes closing in amusement.

The other boy just grunted and turned in another direction, as Kioku's wings wouldn't allow him to leave just yet.

Kioku himself had an expression of surprise. "He seems to know quite a bit." He muttered, half to himself. "How did you know that?"

"Mm, well, Zen told me that Mama had a Hyakki Yakō. And… The three of you… Look like yōkai." Tsuna said with some hesitation.

"Give the kid a medal for stating the obvious." The grey haired boy said. He got himself a nudge in the ribs for his words. "Owch! Don't hit there, you stupid bird! I'm sensitive."

Kioku snorted, "Sensitive my foot. That's just where Zuki 'bit' you. Ne?" He said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

His eyebrow starting to twitch, the boy shoved his hand in Kioku's face. "You want to repeat that again, huh?! I feel like having roast bird tonight!"

As the two started to squabble, Hanayome went over to Tsuna's side, as he started to go back to his protective blanket. "Now now... Tsuna-kun. You don't have to hide, you know? They wouldn't dare to hurt you." She said comfortingly, laying a hand on his back reassuringly.

"R-Really?" Tsuna said, his voice quivering a bit. "Why not?"

"Ahaha, there are multiple reasons… Some I think you would best learn when you're older." Hanayome replied, feeling a little drained at the mere thought. "Anyways, I haven't introduced myself to you, have I? My name is Hanayome. I am a Jorōgumo. Those two squabbling idiots over there would be Kioku, the winged one, and Kamui, the angry one."

Tsuna watched them for a moment, tilting his head as his brows stitched together in thought. Hanayome remained quiet, wondering what it was he had to say. After a long moment, Tsuna said, "They remind me of Kurotabō and Aotabō…"

Their ears twitching at the words, the quarrelling pair whirled on the surprised hanyō and snarled in unison, "Don't compare us to those bumbling monks!"

Hanayome raised her sleeve to her mouth, laughing amusedly. "Hahaha, it seems that Tsuna-kun isn't as 'useless' as his classmates make him out to be. I think anyone whose met the four of you would think you're all somehow related."

Both of the yōkai went red in the face, and they shouted, "NO WAY! AS IF I WOULD BE RELATED TO SOMEONE WHO ARGUES ABOUT SOMETHING AS STUPID AS WHO TAKES CARE OF A STUPID BRAT!"

"Ara, ara, but isn't that what you two were arguing about while Tsuna-kun and Nana-san was gone? I remember it well; I had to make a lot of bandages for the two of you." Hanayome said, looking at them rather sternly. Shifting on each foot uncomfortably, they muttered something and promptly turned away from each other. Kamui sat next to the door of the room, and Kioku went back and sat back on the chair at the desk. An uncomfortable silence settled in the room, and Tsuna started to squirm from it. It wasn't exactly tension, but kind of like something was going to happen. Tsuna was exactly sure what, but it felt like something was going to happen really soon…

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO IDIOTS DOING YELLING AT THIS TIME OF DAY?!"

Ah, now Tsuna remembered. He had dove under his blankets as soon as he felt a presence at his door, leaving the other three to look at him in confusion. Once the door had opened, it was difficult to see if there was an actual body lying on the bed, or a very large lump of blanket somehow huddled up in a ball. The three yōkai turned away from the visibly shaking bundle, to face Nana who seemed like she was absolutely _seething._

"YOU GUYS! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, DON'T GO NEAR TSUNA UNTIL I TELL YOU!" Nana yelled, making all three shrink. Apparently, she had been cooking something downstairs when she heard the scuffle, as she was still wearing her pink apron and had a wooden spoon clenched tightly in her hand. The three yōkai subordinates eyed it warily as they saw a long crack start to snake its way up the handle.

Kioku tried to speak up, "U-Uh... W-w-well... T-the bra—... I mean Tsunayoshi! Tsunayoshi s-seemed to have f-found o-out a-about the…" He trailed off as Nana's blazing eyes bored into him. They were borderline on changing color, and only Tsuna's presence prevented that right now.

Hanayome got off the bed, and moved closer to Nana. "Nana-san, we just thought it would be easier for him to be introduced into the clan slowly. We all know he's easily scared." She said softly.

Instead of calming down, Nana was beginning to emit a feeling of **Fear** into the small bedroom. "Then why is my son scared so bad?!" She said, her teeth grinding together as she pointed at the lump in the bed that was now shaking like a leaf.

No one in the room wanted to say that it was how everyone in the house was feeling at the moment; probably enough for any yōkai in the neighborhood.

"Oi, Leader. Where's that deadbeat husband of yours?" Kamui asked, ignoring the pointed looks from Kioku and Hanayome. He was looking out the window, and did not notice Nana aim the wooden spoon and throw it straight at him. It clipped off a couple of inches of his hair, making him open his mouth to protest, but stopped short at the murderous glint in Nana's eye.

"What. Did. You. Call. _My_. Iemitsu, _**Ka~mu~i**_…?" Nana said, strong warning coloring her tone. At the side, Tsuna, Kioku and Hanayome prayed that they would survive this, and Kamui wouldn't be so stupid as to say something inappropriate, or insult Iemitsu further.

Of course, their prayers fell short as Kamui replied, "Deadbeat husband?"

Hanayome grabbed the entire bundle on the bed that was Tsuna as she streaked out the door behind Kioku, as Nana started her 'teaching' on how to appropriately call another's spouse.

* * *

><p><strong>OMAKE<strong>

"Nana… What happened to the house?" asked Iemitsu with a look of strong confusion, along with a faintly detectable hint of suspicion on his face.

Standing in front of the small family, their home was on fire and the fire engines were struggling to put it out. The flame seemed almost supernatural, and if Iemitsu wasn't involved in the mafia, he would never have thought the fire somehow resembled Storm Flames.

Iemitsu shook the thought from his head immediately. His Nana? With Dying Will Flames? Impossible! She was as harmless as a lamb, and more innocent than a newborn baby. There weren't that many who were so bold, but maybe...

"I'm not sure, it came from upstairs." Nana replied, the picture of a worried mother. "I'm glad I managed to grab Tsu-kun and get out."

"Hmm... Is that so… I'll go call someone to see if we can find somewhere to stay for now. I'll be back later, alright?" Iemitsu said.

Nana nodded, "Alright dear... Take care. I'll stay here with Tsuna until you get back."

As Iemitsu disappeared into the distance, Nana mumbled, "I hope you managed to get him to get a look at you."

A lizard looking man that blended into the scenery shifted into view. "But of course, Nana-sama. I made sure that it was as close as possible. It was a good thing you had enough information though. It would have been tough otherwise."

"Of course. With being the wife of a mafia leader, I should at least keep tabs on his enemies, ne?" Nana replied easily. To any passing by at the moment, she would have appeared to be an innocent and harmless housewife, yet with closer inspection, they would have noticed the glint in her eyes that gleamed with a dark knowing look.

* * *

><p>AN : I'm sorry it's been over a month since I've posted for this story, or posting anything at all. It wasn't my intention, but I've been really crammed for time since I've been taking a class. I thought I would be able to manage to handle both, but it seems that writing three essays in a few days, journal writing, reading a novel and a play, and writing these stories was too much stress on me. One more week and a half and I'll be able to post like regularly.

While checking reviews on this, I noticed that some were labelled for chapter 11. Seeing as how this would be chapter 11 (chapter 10, actually) I don't know how that works, so some comments doesn't make sense to me.

I might be able to get a chapter out for _The Skies of Night and Day,_ for those who are waiting, but I'm trying to edit it a little, since I want the story to make more sense, and fix up my OCs. If you haven't noticed, I'm really bad with names, which is partially why I don't have any names for Tsuna's other yōkai parts. If you have any ideas, please leave a comment or PM me, 'cause it will REALLY take me forever to make ones up -_-;


	12. Chapter 11

A/N : Just a note, this chap, as the two other chaps I posted, have not been beta'd. As such, if there is any such mistakes in what I have written, please don't hesitate to tell me. I am fully aware that when I don't double check my work, there are stupid mistakes in it LOL

* * *

><p>"Nana, are you sure you'll be all right?" Iemitsu asked worriedly holding Nana close to him by the waist. Nana and Tsuna were at the airport seeing Iemitsu off, as he apparently had a call from work to go back immediately. Nana knew better, as did the rest of the yōkai.<p>

Giving her husband (not a deadbeat!) a tender smile, she replied, "Of course, dear. With the amount of money we have, we can stay in the hotel while we wait for the house to be rebuilt. It's too bad you didn't get on the crew to work on it."

Iemitsu gave a regretful smile in return. "Of course, I would try the best I possibly could, but this job needs my skills in construction work, and I can't deny it. I just wish I could have enjoyed your cooking a little more."

"Oh, you don't enjoy your wife?" Nana teased, a playful smile on her face.

Curving his arm around Nana's waist more suggestively, Iemitsu gave Nana a more flirtatious smile. "You know I would love to 'enjoy' you all day and night." He purred.

Having enough sense to know where this was going, Tsuna slipped away from his mother's side before they could go into full lovey-dovey mode. They had a habit of doing it anywhere they felt like doing it, and usually injured Tsuna accidentally and never even knew it. It made some yōkai wonder how it was that she was their leader, when she didn't even know she was the cause of almost half his bruises whenever Iemitsu was home.

The shiver that went down their spines reminded them why they never questioned it. Too bad Kamui was apparently too much of an idiot not to realize that.

The little boy managed to weave his way through the crowd, and he didn't even wonder to himself how he managed to do that without tripping even once. He cleared through to the other side, and looking around him in awe. The airport was very high-tech looking, and was also very sophisticated in appearance. Though Tsuna wasn't very knowledgeable in architecture or electronics, he was amazed that people would come up and build a place like this. A bright red caught the corner of his eye, and he noticed bright red parasols with black pictures of falling maple leaves sitting on it. There were quite a few of them, as well as some benches between them. Knowing his mother would notice that her son was gone when Iemitsu left, he decided to stay and admire the building some more.

No one else sat on the benches, and neither did anyone walking past take any notice of the small child either. They were in too much of a rush to get to their airplane in time, or they were trying to get their luggage before catching a train out of the airport. Still, that didn't deter the yōkai to come out and keep the boy company. They had seen how lonely Tsuna got when his mother was with his father, and since he knew about the yōkai already and seemed okay with it, they didn't see a problem with coming out and staying with the boy themselves. It kept strangers away, and also pedophiles that were taking not so discreet glances at the oblivious boy.

"Hi, Tsuna-chan! How are you?" A familiar voice said cheerily, draping a lean arm around Tsuna's shoulders. Snapping his head up in surprise, Tsuna was shocked to see a charming blonde woman wearing rather expensive clothing sitting right next to him and acting _very_ familiar with him. Unable to make a reply, he tried squirming out from under the other's arm, but was unable to as it seemed the woman's arm was holding him very securely somehow. Taking glances at the woman, he couldn't say he knew her, as there were not often many blondes who came to Japan. And he was sure it wasn't dyed either, as her eyes were blue, and they matched the pale and fine boned face. "What? Is there something on my face?" The woman asked, touching the sides of her face with her highly manicured hands.

There was a loud smack on the back of her head, and Tsuna was relieved to see Hanayome standing behind her, wearing similar kind of clothing that accentuated her curves in all the right places. She wore heels that were rather high, and Tsuna wondered how it didn't snap, as it tapered off to be as thin as a toothpick at the end. Her face had light make up that drew attention away from her eyes, though Tsuna was relieved to see that they appeared to be normal human eyes, albeit they were of a much darker shade than most usually had. Her hair was done up in a tasteful bun, with some strands left to hang around her face, and some longer strands to trail down her back. It hardly mattered how she looked to Tsuna, he was just glad there was someone to get rid of this strange woman sitting next to him.

"You idiot!" Hanayome hissed, "What the hell do you think you're doing, sitting next to him like that?"

"Oww, geeze, how is it you can hit so hard when you look so frail?" The woman replied, removing her arm from Tsuna's shoulders as she held her head in her hands. She turned to Hanayome with a pout. "Are you really female?"

**SMACK!**

Tsuna winced as there was now a bruise beginning to form from under the blonde's now tousled hair. She fell over onto the bench facedown, and Hanayome nudged her off onto the floor, and took her spot. When she noticed the fluffy haired boy still staring at the unconscious body, she made a dismissive motion in her direction. "Don't worry about him, Tsuna-kun. That deadbeat bird can stand to sleep for a while. It might teach him to be more respectful toward females." She huffed, jabbing her heel into unconscious woman's behind. The body groaned a little in pain, and merely turned over in an effort to get away.

"H-Him…?" Tsuna repeated, not quite understanding. She looked rather like a woman, as her face was quite fine, her body was quite curvy as he had seen on other woman, and her voice seemed to match it, though it seemed a tad masculine.

Hanayome nodded. "That's right. Do you remember that winged man from the day your house got destroyed by, erm, unforeseen circumstances?" She said awkwardly, knowing that Tsuna didn't actually know why his house ended up the way it did.

"U-Um… You m-mean K-Kioku-san?" Tsuna repeated, stammering slightly as he didn't quite comprehend what she was trying to avoid.

"That's right," Hanayome smiled, calming down Tsuna a little. "Do you know what kind of yōkai he is?"

Tsuna shook his head, "N-No. I-Is he a p…poisonous bird type l-like Zen?" He asked, paling a little. He had touched the feathers back in the house, and Zen had repeated warned both him and Rikuo _never ever_ touch his feathers, since they were highly poisonous and could kill both boys very quickly. "A-Am I g-g-going to d-d-d-die?" He stuttered, horrified that he would die at such a young age. He had only made two friends!

"No, no! You aren't going to die!" Hanayome said, quick to reassure him before the boy started hyperventilating. That was the last thing she needed at a time like this; she didn't even know the first step in first aid! She wasn't a healer, damn it, and she knew next to nothing on what to do to fix hyperventilating children anyways. "He is a type of bird yōkai, but he isn't poisonous!"

Though his face was still pale, Tsuna felt a little calmer at that, but his panic came back quickly as he rushed out, "He isn't one of those yōkai that gives you nightmares through feathers is he? Or the ones that take away your sight? Or—"

"He isn't any of those! He doesn't do anything particularly _bad_, really!" Hanayome said, cutting him off before he gave himself a heart attack. Really, who told him these things? She thought that probably Rikuo had told him, after being carried away with explaining bird yōkai like Zen that he had heard about in the main house. "He's a memory bird yōkai."

"A… Memory bird?" Tsuna repeated, rather confused. He looked at the twitching woman on the floor, and pointed at her, "W… What does that have to do with her?" He asked, not quite understanding it.

Hanayome sighed, knowing that it could probably take a while to explain it enough for him to understand. None of the others felt like coming out either, mostly because they wanted the unconscious woman suffer a little more. "Well, memory bird yōkai are a very rare kind. There are special conditions that must be met, though I actually don't know what it is. They are born from eggs, and they are a rather fascinating thing, apparently. I heard that if a human saw it, they would go mad and go through a lot of trouble in order to keep it for themselves. Not sure why, but I'm told it has something to do with the appearance of the egg."

"Appearance?" Tsuna replied, the picture of a chicken egg appearing his mind. Why would anyone want to keep an egg for themselves? Did they really like eggs that much? "Do they really like omelette?"

The spider woman laughed, her slightly sharp teeth revealed as she had no wide sleeve to hide behind. "No, it's not to eat. It's to look at. There are many different things people say about how it looks like, so I can't tell you for sure. Anyways, when they are born, they're very ugly to look at. Hardly a feather on their body."

Tsuna tilted his head to the side as his brows furrowed together. Hanayome tried not to squeal at the adorable sight, and only when she saw his lips moving did she realize he was speaking. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"How come Kioku-san has feathers?" The child asked again.

"Time." Hanayome replied, "It takes a lot of time, and also a lot of memories. You see, Kioku is actually a very old yōkai, despite his appearance." She jabbed at the female, gaining another painful groan.

Tsuna still didn't understand what Hanayome was trying to say, but he didn't want to see the strange woman get hurt any more. While he was still frightened since she acted all weird, he still didn't want her to get hurt for him, especially by a yōkai! "S-Stop hurting h-her!" Tsuna cried, traces of tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes as his bottom lip stuck out in a pout. He got out of his seat to cover the unconscious woman the best he could, even if she was much longer than he was. "She's defenceless, a-and… and s-she's human!"

Hanayome looked at him for a long moment, before bursting into uproarious laughter. Her feet kicked up into the air, with her heels narrowly missing Tsuna's face by a few inches. Her strands of hair bounced around as tears started streaming down her face, though her make-up didn't run as she only applied waterproof products. She always said that women always had to look their best at all times, even when fighting.

Of course, Tsuna didn't quite understand why Hanayome was laughing so much at him, and the blonde was only just starting to wake up, so she might not be able to tell him either. He figured it would be best to just wait and see what happened. When he felt movement coming from the woman behind him, he scrambled off to the side in order to avoid her. While he didn't want to see her hurt, he didn't want to be involved with her either. His mother always warned him about strangers, and she was much stranger than strange.

"Ugh, I feel like I got whammed… hard. If it wasn't for the fact I've seen your body too many times to be healthy for me, I would swear your were one of those men like Tsuchigumo. All muscles and no pretty faces among those men." The woman groaned, shooting the laughing Hanayome a dirty look. She got a face full of the Jorōgumo's heel, and was instantly rolling around in pain again, complaining about how unfeminine she was (Ow, ow, you don't need to kick me just because you're jealous I'm more girly than you!) and how no one else was helping her.

With an annoyed look on her face, Hanayome pointed at Tsuna. "Really, how can you mistake this vain peacock for anyone else?" She said.

"V-Vain p-peacock? B-But I only met you o-once…" He said, trailing off uncertain. He looked at the woman, who had finally managed to get up and sit down with what little dignity that she had left. It didn't help matters much when she had red marks on her face where Hanayome's heel pierced her face.

The woman pouted, whining, "What? How can Tsuna-kun not remember me? First you call me strange, now you say you don't know who I am? I'm so hurt, Tsuna-kun~!" She got up and ran towards him in an effort to catch him in a hug. Staring at her like a deer in headlights, he stood frozen as she clacked her way towards him. There was a yank on the collar of his shirt, and he was thankfully pulled away before the woman could get her hands on him. Turning around, he gave Hanayome a grateful smile.

"Hanayome, why are you so mean?" The woman complained, stamping her feet on the floor as her face started to flush with anger. "I want to have Tsuna-kun too!"

Tsuna tried to ignore that shiver that ran down his spine when she said that. Though she was a woman that was very pretty, the way she spoke and her body posture just seemed rather off to the boy. Holding Hanayome's leg close and using it as a shield between him and the strange woman, he quivered slightly as he peeked around the appendage.

Hanayome appeared to be calm, but the slight twitch of her brow suggested otherwise. "On normal circumstances, I would allow you to keep your 'womanly visage,' but not today! Tsuna-kun doesn't know about your abilities, and you're scaring the crap out of him! Change back now, or you. Will. Suffer." She said, cracking her knuckles in her hands as a menacing **Fear** began to leak out of her. Tsuna didn't particularly feel it, as it was aimed at the woman.

She seemed to know what it implied, as she quickly stepped backwards saying, "Alright, alright, geeze. Is it your time of the month or something? Okay! Okay! DON'THURTMEI'MCHANGINGBACKNOW!" He said, rushing the end as he started to see the silky white strands coming out of Hanayome's hands.

Tsuna watched curiously as the 'woman' standing in front of him changed back into the man he had met back in his room those few days ago, Kioku. Yet, even as his appearance changed, the makeup remained on his face, as did his dress that sagged with the lack of curves. Tsuna nearly threw up, and knew that mental image would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"All. The. Way." Hanayome ground out, disgusted with the other.

With a final sigh, Kioku changed his clothes into more male looking attire, in a form fitting hooded sweater with zippers in so many places it looked more like random stitching than zippers. He also wore dark blue jeans and sandals on his feet. "Fine, are you satisfied now?" He said, his voice now fully masculine and matched the voice that Tsuna knew.

"K-Kioku-san? You're a c-crossdresser?" Tsuna said, dubious. If he hadn't seen the transformation before his eyes, he would never have believed that the busty blonde woman was actually the lean and muscular Kioku that he had met in his room in what felt like ages ago. He had thought he was a rather impressive sight, though he didn't quite think of him so highly anymore.

"No! I am not! I just—"

A smack of silky threads smacked into Kioku's face, cutting him off. He struggled to get it off, but was rather strong. "For the sake of virgin ears, my sanity, and your safety, do _**not**_finish that sentence." Hanayome said, her **Fear **leaking out more.

Completely oblivious to the near murder that was about to take place, Tsuna voiced a question, reminding both yōkai that there was still a young child here that hadn't seen a killing yet. "U-Um, a-are you t-the one w-who buys Mama a-all those d-dresses?" He asked, honestly curious.

There were often times when Tsuna wandered around in his parent's room in search of something to do. When he ventured in the closet (which wasn't often, there were boogey men in there!), he noticed that there were large amounts of dresses in hanging in there. Surprisingly, they were of many styles as well. There were the Japanese style of dresses which dominated most of the closet, but there were also some western styled dresses as well. Though Tsuna didn't have a particularly strong fashion sense, he recognized some as dresses he had seen Nana look at in some magazines, but never bought. When they mysteriously appeared in the house, Nana would just smile and say that a friend got them for her.

Seeing as how Kioku seemed to like crossdressing, he figured that this was the 'friend' Nana had been talking about.

Kioku stared back at the boy with an unreadable expression on his face, but every yōkai around who knew him were perfectly aware that he was absolutely seething inside. Hanayome was struggling to keep a straight face, but the few giggles that managed to escape were disguised as coughs to prevent Kioku from finding out. The poor young boy was looking between the two in an effort to understand why they were so quiet. Well, not answering his question anyways. He was perfectly unaware that he was going into very delicate territory, though he had the sense not to ask any more questions thanks to his little feeling he got in times of danger.

"I am not like that little fish!" Kioku finally managed once he got his murderous rage under control. "I have nothing to do with what you humans call 'fashion,' or those dresses. Especially that one dress still in her bedroom with the tasteful stitching. I wouldn't mind wearing it, actually." He said, muttering the last part more to himself though Hanayome heard it.

"At times like this, I really question if you aren't an amanojaku. You could certainly pass as one if you kept your wings hidden away." Hanayome sighed.

"Alright, alright! Can you just lay off questioning my masculinity? I _am _a man of both physique and personality, but dresses happen to be rather comfortable." Kioku grumped, crossing his arms with an expression that left the discussion closed.

More interested in how Kioku could change from the obvious curvy figure of a woman to the lean and masculine form of a man, Tsuna ignored his curiosity of Kioku's strange preference for clothing and decided to go back and ask about Kioku's strange ability; it was much different from Zen's ability, yet they were both birds. "How do you do that?" Tsuna asked, awe and amazement in his voice with the boy completely losing his stammer.

Both Hanyome looked at him surprised, never having had heard the little tuna of the family speak without a stammer. This was probably the first time he had ever expressed a strong interest in something, especially anything yōkai related. "Well, you know what a memory is, right, boy?" Kioku asked, getting down on one knee to look at Tsuna at eye level.

The shy boy nodded, "I-It's t-things we r-remember, r-right?" He replied, his stammer returning as he could feel both yōkai's gazes settle on him.

"Yes, that's right." Kioku said, trying to calm Tsuna down a little with a charming smile. "But there's more to memories than just what you remember. Memories are important to people, and is just as important as air and water to people. I don't think that you'll understand what I mean now, but you will eventually."

Though he didn't understand really what he meant by it, or anything of what he said really, but he just nodded and took Kioku's word for it. Still, it didn't make sense on how he could change his appearance like that. "B-But, what d-do memories h-have to d-do with c-crossdressing?" He asked, his curiosity overpowering the faint sense that he was asking a question too much.

Luckily for the little tuna fish, Hanayome was hovering protectively his shoulder and shot Kioku a warning glance, though it wasn't without a touch of sympathy. No one in the clan had ruined Kioku's reputation so easily or as quickly, though both were aware that he was too oblivious to know he should be saying such things. Kioku returned the look with thanks, and shot a murderous glare at some unseen spot in the airport as he could faintly hear giggles of the other clan members. He swore he heard purring somewhere as well.

"For now, this is all you really need to know about my powers: I can change into whatever or whomever I wish as long as I have seen or heard them before. Simple right? Well, I guess It's not that easy for you. How about a demonstration? Which person…. Hm… Ah! That Kyoko girl in your class." He said, smacking his fist into his hand. Closing his eyes as he concentrated, Tsuna watched with a bewildered expression as Kioku's black hair lengthened out and turned into a honey brown color, and he also shrank as well. His sweater and jeans slowly morphed into a small brightly colored sundress with flower patterns all over made for a much more petite body, with matching slippers on his feet. Soon, Tsuna was staring at a smiling brunette girl that was standing at the same height as him.

"Are you surprised?" 'Kyoko' said, watching Tsuna's face flush with amusement.

Before hanyō or yōkai could reply to his transformation, another voice cut in. "Oi, birdbrain. Didn't know you were a lolicon. Well, I should have figured when you constantly change into a woman. Are you sure you weren't born as a woman?"

Looking away in surprise, Tsuna missed Kioku's annoyed expression as well as Hanayome's amused chuckle. "Stop gawking, brat." The new yōkai snapped, "I'm not some exhibit you can stare at all day."

"What was that, _Kamui-chan?_"

All four of them froze as they could feel an intense killer intent coming from behind Kamui. Turning around slowly, they realized that Iemitsu's flight had long left, and Nana had been standing nearby the whole time. Hanayome sighed and shook her head in exasperation; how long was he going to do this until he learned his lesson? Tsuna was looking at his mother with mixed feelings, which had resulted from his feeling of danger, confusion over Nana's **Fear** and curiosity over why she made Kamui quiver. Kioku had quickly transformed as soon as he caught sight of Nana, knowing she didn't like it at all when he transformed into the opposite gender, especially little girls. She had made that clear the day Tsuna was born, something about corrupting her child into never giving her grandchildren, or something like that.

When no one moved, Nana walked forward to grasp Kamui's frozen elbow. Though he didn't move, Tsuna had the distinct impression that he was really, _really_ scared. He immediately dismissed the thought, however, as he felt that there was never any reason to fear Nana. Through the whole human neighborhood, they considered her to be very gentle and kind, and a lucky catch for her (deadbeat) husband. When they watched how she raised her only son, everyone though it was impossible for the woman to ever perform evil deeds.

If you ever said that to any yōkai's face in the yōkai world, they would stare at you, laugh very loud, and walk away from the very idea of Nana being 'nice.'

"Tsu-kun," Nana said, turning her smiling face to her son. "I have some grocery shopping to do, so Kioku-san and Hana-chan will take you home, alright? Come on, Kamui-kun, you'll be helping me, _right_? I'm only a frail little housewife with a deadbeat husband after all." Before any of the four yōkai could say a word, Nana walked out of the airport with Kamui dragged unwillingly behind her. With the three watching the pair's disappearing figure, they saw Kamui mouth _help me_ before being swallowed up by the humans.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that we won't be seeing those two for a while," Hanayome said cheerily, taking Tsuna's small hand into her own pale one.

Tsuna tilted his head up to look at Hanayome with a worried expression on his face. "H-He didn't l-look very g-good." He said.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. A bit bruised maybe, but fine." Kioku said, ruffling the boy's unruly brown locks of hair.

"B-Bruised? I-Is he c-clumsy like me?" Tsuna asked, slightly surprised and feeling a sort of kinship with Kamui.

Sending a glance at Hanayome, Kioku looked off to one side as he replied awkwardly, "Yeah, I guess it's best to let you think that way."

Tsuna opened his mouth to ask what he meant, but a tug at his arm from Hanayome stopped him. "Come on, Tsuna-kun! Let's get some ice cream! There's a Yuki Onna in this town that makes really yummy ice cream!"

"I-Ice cream…? From a-a Yuki Onna…?" Tsuna replied uneasily, not really comfortable with the idea. "B-But… Mama a-always made m-me ice c-cream…"

Hanayome smiled at him, "Don't you think Mama should have a break? And she has her groceries to buy, so she will be too busy to make you some. I promise you that the ice cream there is absolutely delicious, and if you don't want ice cream, you can have any cold treat there too."

From Tsuna's other side, Kioku nodded in agreement. "Among yōkai in Nanimori, everyone agrees that Yuki Onna makes the best ice cream here. Everyone always goes to her if they ever want one."

"B-But back at R-Rikuo-kun's, Y-Yuki Onna..." Tsuna trailed off, looking uneasy. Kiokua and Hanayome sighed, knowing what Tsuna was trying to say. Tsurara was a very loyal attendant, but also tended to be very overprotective as a result for her affections to Rikuo.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you if she decides to freeze you." Kioku said in an effort to comfort him, but it seemed to have the opposite effect as Tsuna visibly cringed away from Kioku and started to cling to Hanayome's leg. She smacked the back of his head. "Do you have no tact?! Honestly, you have no maternal sense!" She hissed, ignoring Kioku's mutters of, 'that's _paternal_ sense, you stupid insect.' Really, he's old enough to know that spiders are _not_ insects.

Crouching down to extricate the boy's weak arms from her leg, Hanayome held the child close as she rubbed his back. "Don't listen to that stupid bird, she's a very nice yōkai. If you give her a big bright smile, then she might give you a special treat."

At the mention of a special treat, Tsuna's eyes started to sparkle a little. "R-Really? A-A treat?"

Kioku sighed and slapped a hand to his face, knowing they were dragging themselves down deep. Why couldn't they just take the brat home, and leave someone else to take care of him? The Yuki Onna they were taking him to wasn't exactly fond of humans, nor did she particularly like small weak children. Tsuna was probably the best personification of everything she dislike in a human, meaning it wasn't a good idea for ice cream. Besides that, the weather outside for ice cream was absolutely terrible; pouring rains with faint rumbles of thunder.

Privately, Kioku thought that Hanayome just wanted to have someone to gossip the latest in their yōkai community and drink some finely aged sake.

* * *

><p><strong>!OMAKE!<strong>

Speaking a few words to some CEDEF members, Iemitsu continued on through the hide out of the mafia family they had just finished dealing with. Though Iemitsu had no real basis, he had charged into the headquarters of the small, though surprisingly well-known to the locals, growing mafia that was a threat to his own blood family. They put up a reasonable fight, but faced against the one that was called within the mafia as 'the Young Lion of the Vongola,' they didn't stand a chance.

A light buzz vibrated within his suit, and Iemitsu quickly fished out the sleek cell phone that was only used with very few people, Timoteo the Vongola Ninth being one of them.

"_Hello?_" He answered, slipping into the familiar tongue of Italian.

An elderly voice that still held youth in it replied in a grandfatherly tone. "_Iemitsu, how did it go?_" He asked, though there was a faint undertone of warning in it. It wouldn't do for the Vongola to have a possible mistake. Again.

"_It seems that the rumors were right, there was a large supply of weapons hidden down in a secret room. There was also a member of the family here who had the same flames as the one that was burning when my house was destroyed._" There was the sound of light cracks heard through the phone, and Nono didn't have to ask to know that Iemitsu was closing to breaking yet another phone. While it wasn't a particular problem, the mechanics were starting to complain that they had enough work to do without constantly building Iemitsu a new phone because he was angry at the thought of someone hurting his dear wife and adorable son.

"_Iemitsu,_" He said, his voice stern and held the tone of a true leader. "_I hope that you did this mission flawlessly. We do not need any civilians to become involved in this._"

Iemitsu grumbled, "_If you wanted stealth, why didn't you ask Reborn to do this?_"

There was a sigh heard through the other end of the phone, before, "_I thought that you would have rather take care of this, considering this was a direct attack against your family. And also…_" There was a pregnant pause before Nono continued, "_I believe Reborn may be irritated, and I don't want to put him through a mission at the moment._"

That took Iemitsu's attention instantly. Anyone who knew Reborn knew he was always calm and collected, which was one of the reasons he was the greatest hitman in the world. Just what could possibly happen to make him become irritated?

As if reading his thoughts, Nono continued. "_Before you ask what happened, I'm afraid I can't say. Reborn refused to answer any questions, though I believe I heard rumors that it had to do with a strange old man with an elongated head._"

At the odd description, Iemitsu suddenly had the strange thought of Nana's family back when they had gotten married. Her uncle was a rather strange fellow, and fit the description. Iemitsu never got what his name was, and the old man always seemed to disappear whenever he got close. Actually, it was the same with most of Nana's family. He shook his head at the thought. There was no way his dear Nana's family would be involved with this, especially the world's greatest hitman. Impossible, they were just an old family that had an attachment to Japanese clothing and culture, that was all.


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: Just to note, this chapter, like chapter 11-13, has not been beta'd. As such, please let me know of any mistakes that you find in here.

* * *

><p>In the darkened room, there was the sound of soft breathing that could only come from a small body. There was a soft click as the door to the room was opened, and a stream of light fell in to reveal luxurious red carpets on the floor. There was a short pause before some shuffling was heard and the sound of curtains being dragged back to reveal streaming sunshine bringing light into the room.<p>

Taking deep breath as she looked out the window, Nana turned back around to see her son still slumbering away on the massive king-sized bed that he had all to himself. He didn't take much room, considering he was much more used to sleeping in a single bed back in his home. The sudden light would usually wake him up, but Nana couldn't blame him when he just muttered something under his breath before his breath evened out once more.

Deciding that now would be the best time to wake up her son or else he would be late to school and got 'bitten to death' at school, she strode over to Tsuna's side. She wasn't quite sure what he ever meant by it, but she was sure it was some sort of sign of friendship he had with a friend in school. Placing a hand on the boy's thin shoulder, she shook him gently, saying gently. "Tsu-kun, wake up. You're going to be late for school."

Tsuna's nose wrinkled up a little, as the small child rolled over and relaxed, falling back into sleep. Nana sighed, placing a hand on her cheek as she watched him. It had been several days since Iemitsu's departure, and life for Tsuna and Nana had returned to normal.

Well, as normal as it can get considering Nana had burnt down their house and they were still located at a hotel that wasn't too far away from their home.

There was already a construction crew courtesy of Iemitsu's 'workplace,' and were moving fairly along. Luckily, it was Tsuna's last day in school and they would be able to go to stay someplace else while the construction workers finished off their home. It wouldn't take long, considering that there were a few of her subordinates hidden among them that helped building go twice as fast as it normally would.

"Would you like some help, Na-chan?" A voice purred over from the window, and Nana instantly knew the name to match the voice.

Not surprised in the least, Nana turned around with a smile on her lips. "Ah, Zuki-san! Good morning. Yes, if you don't mind, could you wake up my little Tsu-kun? Ah, but be careful, you know how skittish he is around strangers." She said, turning around to walk out of the room. As the door softly clicked shut behind her, Nana was fully aware of the devious yōkai's smile before she left the two alone.

Turning to the slumbering boy, Zuki couldn't but squeal. "Honestly, you're such an adorable boy! And I can finally tease you!" She stood there for a moment, wondering what would be the best way to wake him up.

* * *

><p>The first thing that Tsuna recognized upon waking up was a strange tickling sensation coming from his nose. He abruptly sneezed, blowing it away with his breath. The sensation disappeared, and Tsuna gave a faint smile as he started falling back into unconsciousness. Immediately, however, there was another tickling sensation all over his face this time, and a bunch of the strange tickling things went inside of his mouth. Tsuna jerked up, coughing as some went down his throat, while others were spat back out and floated gently back onto his bed of feathers.<p>

Wait, what?

Becoming more conscious of his surroundings now, Tsuna was shocked to see that his room was entirely covered in feathers that seemed very familiar…

"HHIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Nana was still humming a cheery tune as she was setting the breakfast, courtesy of the hotel's room service, onto the table when the hanyō burst into the dining area in a flurry of feathers that seemed very much like Zen's. She was quite sure that the poisonous bird yōkai was busy gathering herbs since there was apparently a sickness going around the Nura clan, so he would have no time to come out to Nanimori for no reason.

However, it was apparent that Tsuna didn't know that, as he was screeching about needing an antidote, and that he had swallowed some of Zen's feathers, amongst other things better left unsaid. Being rather calm about the whole thing, Nana walked over to Tsuna and jabbed at a certain spot on his neck with her fingers. Instantly, Tsuna fell unconscious, and she caught him before he fell to the ground, sighing as she walked back into the feather-covered room. "Zuki-san," She sighed, as she brushed the feathers off the bed. "Didn't I ask you to wake him up? He was nearly hyperventilating."

"Ah, sorry, Na-chan. I didn't expect him to go into a full-blown panic like that." Zuki said, appearing behind her and would have looked rather apologetic if not for the trace of a smile at the corner of her lips. Her ears were flattened against her head, and her tails were curled around each of her legs. "It probably wasn't the best idea."

Nana sighed; she knew as well as Zuki did that Tsuna would be frightened out of his wits to see feathers that looked very much like Zen's to be surrounding him, and would be too sleepy to remember that there was no way that Zen would come out here now. "No, I don't think so. Ah, now he's going to be late for school. I really need to go and talk to some yōkai about the arrangements for the summer break as well…"

Zuki's ears perked, tilting forward as her tails unwound themselves and began swishing back and forth. "I can take him! It'd be nice to take Tsunayoshi-kun to school for once." She said, her lips curling in a way that Nana knew she wouldn't be able to talk the cat yōkai out of it.

"Very well, but please make sure he gets there on time, and no yōkai magic, please. I already have enough trouble on my hands with accidentally sending the house up in flames. I don't need the added mix of yōkai sightings with Tsuna." Nana pleaded, knowing that Zuki would just love to prank some humans somewhere. While she didn't mind that she did that, she knew that Tsuna wouldn't react to well to it.

Zuki smiled widely, showing her pointy canines as she looked like the cat that ate the canary. "Of course, Na-chan. He is your precious son, after all. Besides, you turned out all right while I was around, right?" She purred. When she didn't get a reply, Zuki ignored it and curled up on the king-sized mattress. "I'll just wait here until Tsunayoshi-kun wakes up, and then I'll take him to school."

Though the powerful yōkai mother didn't have the famous Vongola Hyper Intuition that her husband and son had, Nana knew Zuki well enough to know that something bad was going to come out of this trip, and it wasn't going to bode well for her or Tsuna. However, she didn't have much choice as she needed a more permanent place to stay for the summer while Iemitsu was busy with the 'assassination' attempt that Nana had set up.

Oh, how she _really_ wished that Kamui didn't have that ability to make her angry enough to make her use her yōkai abilities. She was extremely grateful Hanayome had pulled Tsuna out before she exploded.

"Alright," Nana said tentatively, "But I'm serious. Don't use yōkai abilities when humans are close by."

"Yes, yes." Zuki replied, waving one of her tails at Nana dismissively. "If you managed to survive with me taking care of you most of the time, I'm pretty sure your little tuna fish can survive me as well."

Nana somehow doubted that when Zuki addressed her son as a 'little tuna fish,' especially as how she like to tease Kamui almost every single day. "If you're sure… Anyways, I've asked someone to pick up Tsu-kun after school, so you're free to do whatever you want after you take him to school."

"Alright, bye, Na-chan~!" Zuki purred, waving at her with her tails as the door shut. As the door gave a click, Tsuna stirred in his bed. He gave a soft moan before slowly sitting up, rubbing his eyes with small fists. With a wide yawn that Zuki nearly squealed at, Tsuna finally opened his eyes to look around his surroundings blearily. For a moment, all he could see a rich red, then an oddly silver and black looking figure sitting at the end of his bed.

Once his eyes focused and he realized that… _was that a person cosplaying a two-tailed cat sitting on his bed?_

Tsuna gave a loud shriek that made any yōkai nearby wince at the high pitch. They couldn't wait until the boy hit puberty, it would be a _lot_ easier on their ears.

Zuki pouted as she rubbed her ears. "Oww… Really Tsunayoshi-kun, it's rather rude to scream at a person you've never met, isn't it?"

"I-I-I-Isn't i-i-it r-r-rude to b-b-be i-i-in s-s-someone's r-room t-t-t-that y-y-you d-d-d-don't k-k-know?" He stuttered, his shock nearly overpowering his speech.

The 'girl' sitting in front of him looked to be quite a few years older than him, yet wasn't as old as Hanayome or Kioku appeared to be. Maybe around the age of a junior high or high school student. Her appearance also struck Tsuna as rather odd, as her hair was a glossy black, yet there were silvery streaks in her hair. Though he had seen other people with this kind of hair color, they appeared to be older than they actually were. But when Tsuna saw it on this person, it strangely suited her. He couldn't tell how long it was, as it was tied up in a loose bun at the top of head, with her cat ears sticking out by it. Her outfit as well was different from what he normally saw of teenagers, as she wore long black lace up heel boots that went up to her knees, and wore black tights with what appeared to be black bandages wrapping around them. Her top was more contrasting, as it was a simple modest white hooded top with what appeared to be leopard fur on the inside, and a zipper that started at her left collar bone and ended at her right hip. Her eyes were a strange golden color that he had never seen on another person before, and was fascinated by the interesting pattern printed on her irises.

He never noticed at all that he was leaning forward, nor that she had crept forward until he felt their foreheads bump and saw her eyes to be way too close for his comfort. He gave his usual shriek and scrambled away from her as fast as possible, with Zuki falling backwards laughing. "Hehehe, you're much too amusing, boy!" She gasped in between laughs.

Still rather frightened of this stranger, Tsuna couldn't help but be a little confused of this strange person. "A-Are you one of M-Mama's y-yōkai?" He asked.

"Well, you're correct that I'm a yōkai. I'm not exactly Na-chan's subordinates, if that's what you're asking. I don't think I can follow someone who I had changed diapers for when she was a baby." Zuki snickered, "You actually look quite a bit like your mother when she was young. Especially your eyes."

Large eyes widening even more, Tsuna's mouth opened to an 'o' shape in surprise. "Y-You know M-Mama?"

Zuki nodded, and replied, "Yeah, didn't I just say that?"

The wide eyes boy stared at Zuki for a moment longer and then started to crawl out of the protection of the blanket. The nekomata just stared at him from the end of the bed with an amused expression on her face as Tsuna cautiously crawled over to her like a kitten. When he finally reached her after a few moments, he just sat back on his rump as he stared at her with impossibly wide eyes. Zuki chuckled; he was so much like Nana when she first met her. Exactly the same facial expression as well. Deciding to tease the boy, Zuki drew her tail on either side of her, and waved it in front of Tsuna. Distracted, the little brunet gave a little cry and reached out for it. Of course, the cat yōkai drew back her tail before he could grab it, but enjoyed the fun for a while.

"I should've shown myself to you a long time ago." Zuki mused to herself as she saw Tsuna reach with grasping hands to her dancing tail. Wondering what time it was, she turned to look at the clock at the bedside, and failed to notice Tsuna give an inquisitive stare to her twitching ears and reach up to grab it with his stubby fingers. It wasn't until she felt her poor ears being squished that she yelped and immediately ran to a corner, quivering as she covered her poor abused ears. "Ow, ow, ow! Why would you _do_ that?" She whined piteously.

"I wanted to know if they were real or not." Was the reply she received. She nearly smacked a hand to her face; every yōkai in town knew the boy was interested in yōkai, why did she forget such an important detail? Now her poor ears were in pain, and Kamui was sure to laugh at her. Well, she felt like eating some sushi again anyways.

Glancing back at the clock, the hands read that he was going to be late if he didn't hurry, and the ticking wasn't helping. She sighed and got up, saying, "Come on, it's time we get you to school."

She didn't miss the slight twitch and tenseness that was now in the boy's shoulders when she said 'school.' "What's the matter?" She asked, "I know you don't have a cold."

Tsuna fiddled with the blankets a little in his hands, but kept his glance carefully away from the observant yōkai. Years of watching the boy had taught her that he only did that when he was lying, or was about to, along with the stammer.

"T-There's n-no school t-today, s-so I-I don't h-have to g-go."

Ah, there it was.

Zuki reached out to rustle Tsuna's hair. "No can do, Tsunayoshi-kun! Na-chan told me to bring you to school, and that's just what I'm going to do. How are you going to be helpful to Rikuo-kun if you don't learn?" She asked, a knowing look in her eye.

Surprised, Tsuna looked up to her face. "You know?" He squeaked, startled that someone he didn't know would know of his promise.

"I know a lot of things, Tsunayoshi-kun. I'm much older than you think. Now, no more questions! Get ready for school!" Zuki said, easily picking Tsuna out of the bed and herding him to the bathroom. "And no escaping, I'll know if you do."

Huffing, Tsuna complied as he locked the door and got himself ready begrudgingly. He had hoped that since it was a rare day that Nana couldn't take him to school, he could avoid it. Apparently his 'babysitter' was going to get him to school, and he didn't want to find out her special yōkai abilities the hard way. Learning about Zen's beautiful yet fatal feathers without asking anyone had nearly killed him.

Climbing on top of the stool provided for him, he heaved himself up to the sink to look at his sleepy reflection staring at him from the other side of the glass. Seeing his spiky locks of hair, Tsuna blinked at it. He was still used to looking at himself in the mirror and seeing shorter flatter hair that most of his classmates call him a girl, since no other boy had that kind of appearance. Running his fingers through his hair, he found he didn't mind too much of this change that he had discovered after he first transformed on the mountain. He was certain it would stop others from calling him a girl, in any case.

"Actually," He murmured softly to his reflection and watched his brows furrowed together. "I wonder what happened to Hayato-kun and his sister… I hope they're alright. And those two people who helped me… Who were they?"

He contemplated his reflection for a while longer before starting to wash up. It would do him no good to think about it now, he could ask Zuki while on the way to school maybe, since she was a yōkai, and most yōkai he met knew lots of things about supernatural things. If he was lucky, he might be able to find out how he can help Rikuo in his own way, as a human.

Once he was out of the bathroom, Tsuna went into the main room where Zuki was happily eating the breakfast Nana had ordered up for Tsuna. Looking at the leftovers, Tsuna noted that there were large chunks of the food leftover, but they were largely the unappetizing parts or food he didn't like. It seemed that he had made a face at it, because Zuki said, "Hey, you need to eat some too. Doesn't matter if you don't like them, a yōkai has to have a healthy diet if he wants to become strong and powerful."

"T-Then shouldn't y-you be e-eating this?" Tsuna replied, pointing at the remains of some rather unappetizing oatmeal soup mix that Tsuna really didn't want to know what was in it.

Zuki ignored it in favor of a beautifully presented dish of a grilled fish fillet. She sniffed it appreciatively before taking a big bite out of it. "I already did," She said in-between chews. "I ate all the shrimps and bit of squid in it. It was cooked very well, tender and juicy. I still prefer Na-chan's cooking though. She always cooks it to perfection."

Tsuna eyed the remains of the breakfast. He wasn't a particularly picky eater, but there wasn't much that he could eat from Zuki's remains. "T-Then, what a-am I s-supposed t-to eat?"

"Ah, I probably ate most of it… Sorry about that." Zuki said, not looking apologetic at all. "I'll buy you something to eat after school, my treat. Speaking of school, grab your bag. We should get going; we're going to be late at this rate."

Despite grumbling, Tsuna followed the order and got himself ready. He waited at the front door for Zuki, but was confused when she went to the balcony instead. "W-Where are y-you going?" He asked curiously.

"I don't like going through the front door." Zuki said, waving him over with a wink. "Too slow for my taste, especially since I'm supposed to get you to school. So, we'll be taking a shortcut."

The brunet had a feeling that he wasn't going to like where this was going. "S-Shortcut?" He asked nervously.

Zuki gave a cheeky grin and grabbed Tsuna, ignoring his protests. "Yep! We're going to jump from this floor!" She said brightly, as if jumping from the tenth floor was no big deal.

The sight of the long drop made Tsuna pale immediately, and only fear of becoming a pancake on the pavement gave him the strength to try to free himself from Zuki's iron grip. "I think that's a good idea!" He said quickly, squirming around.

"Oh! You didn't stammer! Good for you!" Zuki said, ruffling Tsuna's wild locks. "But trust me; I've done this many times. It's the fastest, and you'll enjoy it."

Tsuna seriously doubted that, but couldn't do anything as he shrieked when Zuki jumped off the railing and watched the ground rush up to him. He swore he saw his life flash before his eyes, but it was over before he even reached the sixth floor. A little voice in the back of his head dryly noted the needed to make more memories.

Back to the issue at hand, Tsuna was screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs as Zuki started somersaulting in the air, not liking the weightlessness feeling as she did so. But before his brain could process what was happening, it was over. Shivering in fear and holding his hands over his eyes, Tsuna whimpered in fear as he thought he was dead. He felt hands gently pry his hands away, but he still kept his eyes tightly shut, too afraid of what he might see.

"We're not dead, Tsunayoshi-kun. It hurts to see that you don't trust me." He heard Zuki's amused voice say. He didn't know if he could trust that, but decided there must be some merit to it since he couldn't feel any of his limbs hurting, and feel the sun warming his back. He warily opened one of his eyes, and was greeted with the sight of a park that wasn't too far away from the hotel and Zuki squatting in front of him.

"W-We're safe?" Tsuna asked in surprise. "We're n-not d-dead?"

"Nope, now we should get going. You're going to be late!" Zuki said easily as she grabbed his hand and headed out of the park.

But Tsuna was still amazed. Was this something that yōkai were capable of? "Yōkai are amazing…" He murmured half to himself.

He heard Zuki giggle next to him. "Ah, fallen for me, huh?" Zuki teased. "Yōkai are beings capable of many things humans can't do. Train yourself, and you can do it too. It's not hard for me to do anyways. Haven't you heard? Cats always land on their feet."

The pair then headed off to what Tsuna assumed to be the direction of his elementary school, which was only ten minutes away from where the hotel was. But they didn't head that way, as Tsuna felt himself being tugged off in a different direction. As they passed by houses, Tsuna started to recognize it as the neighborhood his house had been it before it had been blown up by 'someone.' "Z-Zuki-san, where are we going? School is the other way." Tsuna said, pointing in the general direction of where they were supposed to go.

"Of course, I know. I just wanted to drop by and see how construction was going first. Na-chan expects your house to be done in the next few weeks, and everyone in the clan knows that." Zuki replied, pulling him down another street. "Since there's quite a few yōkai scared of Na-chan's 'scolding,' I'm curious to see how the others are going to help finish it."

Though Tsuna didn't quite understand what she was talking about, he let her pull him along. This might be the chance he was looking for, to escape school on the last day! Escape the peers that stole his lunch and—

"Oh, but don't think I'm not taking you to school. I'm taking you there immediately after this."

Tsuna's hope immediately vanished, and his face took on a sad puppy expression like it was harshly kicked. Well, as long as he got to school before the bell rang, it would be fine he supposed. He hurried to keep up with Zuki's hurried pace, feeling quite exhausted as they went along. When they finally arrived at Tsuna's house, his face was red and he was panting heavily in an effort to get enough oxygen in his lungs.

"Well, we're here." Zuki announced proudly. "What do you think of construction so far?"

Once he regained enough breath, Tsuna straightened and looked at his the outline of his home-to-be. All he saw was ordinary people building an ordinary house, and that construction was well under way. He looked at Zuki in confusion. "T-They're just building a house. Nothing s-strange about it."

Zuki smiled and patted Tsuna's head. "Ah, but you need to look closer. Don't you notice how some seem to be different? Look, that man is carrying much more than a normal human would. And that woman over there, she is rather quick in placing the windows into their place." She gestured, pointing out the little differences to Tsuna. He didn't really see it, but he nodded anyways. He then noticed a man carrying some lumber while climbing up to the second floor. "Is he a yōkai?" He asked, pointing in his direction.

The nekomata grinned, "Yep, good eye! You're starting to see yōkai. They'll probably be more as time goes on. I'm sure Nana has plenty of plans for the house she would like. Anyways, time for school~!"

Tsuna groaned. "C-Can we maybe… Not go today? I promise I won't tell Mama!" He pleaded, sticking his bottom lip out and his eyes going wide and watery.

"Nope, not falling for that one, kid." Zuki laughed, leading him away from the construction site. "Na-chan wants you to be a human, so off to school you must go."

But the hanyō had inherited his parents stubbornness, and refused to give up. "But what does school have to do with y-yōkai? No one at the main house went to school…" He argued.

"Actually, most of them have." Zuki replied, pushing him as he started to slow down. "Rikuo's father's first wife actually taught a school too. You forget, many of them used to be human. And human children are expected to go to school and learn, like you."

"But… I promised Rikuo." Tsuna said, his eyes flashing orange. "I would be at his side, and help him protect the humans. How can I do that when I'm stuck in school?"

Zuki only gave him a cryptic smile, but didn't say a word. The colour died from Tsuna's eyes and returned to their warm brown colour as he looked at her confused. He yelped as he suddenly felt her pull him onto her back. "W-What are you doing?!" He shrieked.

"Ouch, my ears." She huffed, her ears twitching. "Isn't it obvious? I'm taking you to school. Wouldn't want you to be 'bitten to death', would we?"

Eyes widening, Tsuna whispered in hush fear, "Y-You know about Hibari-san?"

"That's the carnivore." Zuki grinned as she used her speed to jump over the roof of houses, nimbly landing on telephone poles or other tall objects. "I've heard of what he's done in your school."

Tsuna quivered slightly, "H-He's s-scary…" He mumbled, burying his face in Zuki's neck, taking in her fresh scent that reminded him of the forests where he had first transformed. He felt a bit calmer, and started feeling a little sleepy.

However, Zuki noticed when the weight on her back started to get a little heavier. "Hey, hey," she protested, "No falling asleep back there. You're going to school, not nap time."

"Few more minutes," he mumbled in reply.

Zuki huffed, "The little tuna fish wants to sleep, eh?" An idea struck her, and she grinned devilishly. Without a second thought, she threw Tsuna as hard as she could up into the air, listening to his shriek slowly disappear as he vanished from sight. She continued running forward, being very attentive to catch Tsuna's increasing screams as he fell back down to earth. Right as he fell past her, she shot out an arm and grabbed his ankle and threw him back on her back, continuing forward as if she hadn't done that.

"W-W-W-Why did you d-d-do that?!" He yelled, thoroughly scared as he felt his heart racing in his chest a mile a minute. He bet there was some white hair in his head now!

"You were sleeping. I had to wake you up." Zuki replied as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"No person wakes up a person by throwing them in the air!" Tsuna complained, now afraid of falling back asleep.

Zuki snorted. "No _human_. Besides, this is nothing compared to how I woke your mother when she slept in."

As Zuki reminisced of past memories, Tsuna couldn't help but gape at the nekomata in horror, wondering how the heck did his mother survive with _this_ looking after her?

* * *

><p>If you don't remember, Kamui is a yōkai that was formerly an animal spirit of the ocean. In simpler terms, a fish yōkai. With Zuki being a cat yōkai, I'm pretty sure you can make the connections there.<p> 


	14. Chapter 13

A/N : **IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ CUZ I WILL NOT BE NICE IF YOU DO NOT READ AND STILL GO THROUGH WITH THIS**

A friend of mine notified me of a story that was similar to mine. I'm not sure how many of you have read it, but it's in the other NnM archive, the anime version one. Now, I don't mind if you model your story after mine. As long as credit is given where it is due, and YOU DO NOT BLOODY TAKE MY WRITING AND KEEP IT AS YOUR OWN. You have no idea how much I had to re-edit my lines to make it the way that is satisfactory to me.

ALSO! If you DO happen to be modelling it after mine, please PM me about it. Just run it by me, and make sure it's not similar to mine. I didn't think this would happen since I was sure no one would feel the urge to, but apparently, I do have this issue. I do not want to have this problem again, and have to send a report because of this.

So, one more time, **YOU COPY THIS STORY AND DO NOT TELL ME AND CLAIM IT AS YOUR OWN, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO HIT THE REPORT BUTTON. IF YOU WANT A STORY, GET YOUR LAZY BUM IN GEAR AND WRITE ONE YOURSELF.**

And so, thank you for listening to my rant. Without further ado, please read the latest chapter!

* * *

><p>Tsuna had faced through his mother's wrath, the terror of the Italian assassin, Zen's feathered anger, a prank from a bandaged baby, but he would always be scared of one thing.<p>

The short empty path between the gates of Nanimori Primary School and the building itself after the bell had rung and everyone had long gone inside for class.

Now, most people wouldn't understand why anyone, let alone an eight year old boy, would be afraid of going to school. It wasn't because of ghosts, nor was it strangers, nor any kids who had decided to skip class and bully him like they usually did. The reason that he was so frightened was—

"Herbivore, I'll bite you to death for being late."

"HIIIIEEEEEEEEE! HIBARI-SAN! P-P-PLEASE D-D-DON'T B-B-BITE ME!"

Hibari Kyoya, an adorable boy with a fierce look was a student of Nanimori Primary School, and already had the entire school in his iron grip. Most people would laugh and say that it was impossible. Many of those ended up in the hospital from injuries caused by said boy. Though he was still a charming child, the sharp metallic glare in his eyes were enough to say not to treat him like any other child. Ignoring the warning would earn a person a 'bite to death,' and be swiftly dealt punishment by the tonfas he wielded grace. Many of the teachers at the primary school were worried about what the boy would be like when he grew older; they hoped he would be a brave and courageous hero.

One could only hope.

"Would you stop the stupid narration, you stupid cat? It's getting on my nerves!" A voice hissed, and there was a smacking sound of flesh hitting flesh before the voice groaned in pain.

Zuki's voice was heard as she purred back, "I was having fun, Ka-kun~ Honestly, you're making me feel like eating sushi again."

"Hell no! Pay attention to the brat! He's getting beaten up by the tonfa brat!" Kamui growled, pointed at the fleeing brunet and the chasing raven. If it wasn't for the fact that he was fully aware of how capable Kyoya was of hurting the brat, he would have laughed at Tsuna's predicament. On the other hand, if Nana found out he had been watching Tsuna get beaten up _again_, there was going to be harsh consequences for it. "Are you going to help him?!"

"In a minute." Zuki hummed, a content smile on her face as she watched the pair run around the courtyard, and witnessed Tsuna trip over nothing, and observed Kyoya now standing menacingly over him.

Smacking a hand to face and dragging it down, Kamui muttered, "Oh, for the love of…" Then burst out of the protective cover, using a convenient puddle of water nearby to make a distraction. Kyoya jerked his head in the direction of the sound, but saw nothing but a rippling puddle. Turning back to his victim, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he saw his prey was gone.

"Next time, herbivore."

* * *

><p>"What is wrong with you?! What kind of babysitter lets a kid face a person worse than a <em>bully<em>?!" Kamui yelled, his face turning red as he tried to get his point across.

Zuki just looked at him impassively, not really caring too much. "We're yōkai." She replied simply.

"What does that have to do with anything?" He snarled, too angry to calm down. "He's weak, he doesn't know how to protect himself yet! We should be doing that, _you_ should be doing that!"

The nekomata shot him an intimidating glare. "_Don't use that tone with me, youngling. You're a hundred years too early to try matching with me_." She warned, her tone low and dangerously soft. Kamui gulped, but did not pursue the subject further. It didn't matter, Zuki continued anyways. "Tsunayoshi-kun is also part yōkai. He made a promise, and if wants the strength to fulfill his promise, then he has to learn to use his yōkai abilities."

The younger of the pair was silent for a moment, before a regretful look entered his face. "But… None of us want this…" He mumbled. "He's just a child…"

Zuki looked at him impassively before sighing, "He has to do this. There's too many mistakes we've made, and he and Rikuo are the only ones who can fix this."

* * *

><p>Tsuna gave a breath of relief as he saw the raven haired boy retreat around the corner. He wasn't quite sure what had happened, but the quick flash of blue eyes that were so much like the ocean had told him who had saved him from being 'bitten to death.' He was thankful, of course, but wished that he had intercepted <em>before<em> he had encountered Kyoya.

It wasn't like it mattered, though. Tsuna sighed as he trudged his way down the hall to his classroom. He was still late, and he was sure that he was going to be teased about it again, steal his bread at lunch, and end up with ruined homework before going back to the hotel and finally begin his summer. He honestly wondered what good they were to protect.

And true to his prediction, he received jeers from his peers upon opening the door.

"Heh, look. It's Muyō-Tsuna, haha!"

"Eh? No, what are you talking about?"

"What, you defending that wimp?"

"No, didn't you see his report card? He got even worse than the last one!"

"Hehe, I think Dame-Tsuna fits him better than Muyō

Tsuna had a disappointed expression on his face, but said nothing as his teacher scolded him for being late, then walked to the back of the room while the rest of his classmates mocked him. Some even tripped him, and only snickered when he landed flat on his face.

"_Oops_, looks like Dame Tsuna is too clumsy!"

"He even trips on air!"

"Bet that new hairdo of his makes his head too heavy, haha!"

"Too bad it doesn't make him any smarter!"

And so, for the rest of class, he quietly put up with the mocking laughter of the rest of class until it was lunch. As soon as the bell rang, he grabbed his lunch and immediately ran somewhere that he hoped the bullies wouldn't find too quickly. Considering they weren't supposed to leave the school property, Tsuna hid out in an abandoned classroom. He locked it behind him, and settled in the far corner where he was sure no one would see him if they entered the room. He munched on his food quietly, feeling quite forlorn. He really did have some people he wanted to protect, but it was hard to be resolute with it when almost every human he knew of kept making fun of him for no apparent reason.

As if sensing his mood, his spiky locks drooped and looked semi-deflated. He never had company during lunch, so he was surprised when he heard a knock on the door and a soft voice calling his name. Recognizing the voice immediately, Tsuna scrambled up and unlocked the door, opening it with a wide smile. "K-Kyoko-chan!" He greeted brightly, his cheeks painted with a light blush.

A flash of expression flitted across the brunette's face before resuming her brilliant smile, making Tsuna feel warm inside. "Tsuna-kun… Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, why?" Tsuna stammered, surprised. Kyoko usually didn't notice something like this, but felt immensely grateful that the girl was showing concern on his behalf.

Tsuna couldn't help but blink at the white box with a red cross on the lid. "W-What is this?" He asked, confused.

"It's a first aid kid. I know you have some scrapes from when you fell." Kyoko replied, her expression worried as she searched Tsuna's face for something.

Feeling a stab at her concern, Tsuna laughed to ease the tension between them. "Haha, I-I'm fine! I m-may not be s-smart, but I-I'm as t-tough as a rock!" He said uneasily, his laughter trailing off as he noticed the distress on Kyoko's face didn't leave.

"R-Really, I'm f-fine." Tsuna said, giving her a reassuring smile as he gently took the box off Kyoko's hands. "B-But I-I'm really t-thankful for i-it."

The boy couldn't help but be relieved when Kyoko's frown was swept away, and her familiar radiant smile returned to her face. "Great! I hope you use it well! Well, I should get back and finish my lunch. I'll see you back in class."

Tsuna gave a shaky smile back at Kyoko as she disappeared down the hall back to their classroom. He sighed and looked down at the first aid kit, and ran a finger over the smooth rounded edge of the plastic. He completely missed the heavy footsteps heading in his directions, nor the snickers when the bullies noticed him. He gave a shocked gasp and his eyes flew up to see three of the usual people who stole his lunch take the first aid kit right out of his hands.

"Haha, what's this, Dame-Tsuna? A first aid kit? Bet Kyoko-chan gave this to you."

"Feh, what does a girl as good as her give you this for? A worthless brat like you isn't worth it."

One of the bullies stepped forward and shoved Tsuna backwards, and he grunted as he hit the floor. He quivered slightly in fear as he saw the three bullies come in and close the door behind them. They grinned maliciously as they cracked his knuckles. "This'll be fun." One of them grinned, and Tsuna shivered as he knew what was going to happen. He braced himself as he felt the three boys close in around him.

"Hey, what's going on in here? Are we playing a game?"

The four of them shot their heads up as they saw a grinning boy standing in the open doorway, his spiky black hair and warm brown eyes were familiar and well known to all of them.

"Yama-chin!"

"Eh? Akira? Daisuke? Hiroto? And Dame-Tsuna too? Are we playing a game here?" Takeshi laughed, walking into the room. He wrapped his arms around two of the bullies, ignoring the paleness in their faces nor Tsuna's hopeful look.

It was obvious that the three boys were uneasy with the popular boy with them, and were fully aware of how kind the boy was, and wouldn't tolerate bullying. They hoped that he was oblivious enough to not realize what they were about to do.

"Y-Yeah," Hiroto said nervously, "W-Were going to ask Dame-Tsuna to…"

"Play ball!" Akira burst out, and immediately winced at the murderous glares he received from his two companions.

It seemed that Takeshi didn't notice, as he grinned wide. "Really? Mind if I join in too? The coach says I need to practice my throwing an arm!"

The three bullies gave each other a nervous look that Takeshi didn't notice. How were they supposed to steal Dame-Tsuna's stuff if the baseball loving boy was going to be with them? And they had to play with Dame-Tsuna on top of that! Everyone knew he was terrible at everything, sports included. If he… played… _baseball…_

They could already hear their screams as they would flee from the demon child of Nanimori Primary School due to destruction of the school in some way.

Before any of the four could back out of the game, they were all somehow grabbed by the arm, and unceremoniously dragged outside to a small empty part of the area. Takeshi grinned as he pulled out five baseball mitts. "Here, I have enough for all of us! So we can all play together! Who wants to go first?" He asked, throwing the softball in his hand up and down.

The three boys didn't need any property damage here, so they tried blocking Tsuna so that he wouldn't cause any trouble. As well as the fact that they didn't really want to throw it, they didn't even want to play! But that didn't matter to Takeshi, who said finally, "Well, if none of you guys will throw the first ball, I guess I will."

The boys sighed in relief, knowing there was a full chance that they would be able to go through at least one throw without any casualties.

CRASH!

"Whoops, haha! I guess I don't know my own strength!" Takeshi laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with an expression of embarrassment on his face as he watch the door that used to lead into the sports equipment shed fall inwards with a large softball shaped dent in it.

As they watched the dust settle in the shed, the three bullies came a shrill shriek more girly than Tsuna's and started to run away. They didn't manage to get very far before a dark shadow swooped in and simultaneously knocked the trio out with a metal tonfa. Tsuna watched with horror as the person in front of him straightened up from his position on top of the three, while Takeshi gave a friendly grin at the newcomer. "Ah, hey, Hibari!"

Kyoya flashed his grey eyes at the pair, making Takeshi's smile falter slightly and Tsuna cringe in fear. He stepped off of the pile of body parts, stating in monotone, "Herbivores who crowd will be bitten to death. As will any who damage property in Nanimori." He stepped closer to the pair, his eyes flashing towards the taller of the pair, seeing him as someone who could likely provide a pitiful fight before being 'bitten to death.' He stepped towards the baseball loving boy, his tonfas ready at his sides.

At the side, forgotten by the other two raven haired boys, Tsuna watched as Kyoya's tonfas slowly went for Takeshi. He screamed at his body to move, but his limbs felt like they were frozen, yet he could feel his blood boiling in his veins. His mind was racing a mile a minute, yet the world around him seemed to crawl at a snail's pace. As he watched the threatening weapon head for an unprotected part of Takeshi, Tsuna could feel a burning need inside of him, to stop the other from getting hurt… To… To…

**What is it that you want to do?**

Tsuna looked almost tiredly in the direction of the familiar voice, seeing the fiery boy from before leaning against Takeshi. He wondered how the other didn't feel the boy leaning on him, especially since he was on fire. He didn't notice that the boy staring at him had the exact same face, albeit with a flaming head of hair and eyes a flickering ocher color. Rather than giving aggravating comments like he did the last time, it almost seemed as though the boy was observing him carefully, though Tsuna didn't know the reason why.

"Who are you?" He heard himself whisper, nothing more than a soft breeze between his lips.

The boy continued to stare at him, though his expression started to turn annoyed. He turned his head to the pair of boys next to him, still moving in slow motion. Kyoya was only inches away from striking the baseball boy's ribs, while Takeshi seemed to have finally realized what was going on and was trying to block the blow. **He's about to get hit, you know.**

**Are you going to let that happen?**

There was a burst of heat that bloomed in Tsuna's chest, and he steadily met the other's gaze. "No." He said calmly. "I… I will protect him!"

The other seemed to hum in approval, though his expression started to turn more into one of irritation. **Then why are you standing there?** He questioned, his voice dry like it had last time. **Where is your resolve?**

Tsuna didn't understand what he meant by that; resolve? His resolve… for what? Takeshi was a human, one of the people who constantly bullied him in school. He never actually talked to the boy, since he was constantly surrounded by friends who didn't like Tsuna. While the Japanese boy's back was turned, his friends would tease Tsuna, but give innocent smiles when he turned back around. Did he really want to protect someone like that?

But then he remembered that despite the bullying he went through, Takeshi had always been nice to him. Whenever he encountered the other when the brunet's lunch was stolen, Takeshi had willingly given his bentō over to the shy boy, saying he had ate too much earlier, and he would be fine without his lunch until he got home. When Tsuna had been left behind when playing team sports, Takeshi had always swept in and taken the boy onto his side. Takeshi was… someone he found he could rely on, a person he wished was his friend.

The hanyō blinked his eyes, pulling out of his memories in time to see Kyoya's tonfa too close to Takeshi, and his eyes widened in horror.

SMACK!

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><p>AN : Quick note, Muyō = Useless | It's the name they used before going with Dame Tsuna

Also, I apologize that it has been a while since I have last posted anything. My beta currently has internet issues, and I wanted to wait a bit to see if it could be fixed. There's usually some mistake in here with how I wrote something, so I rather have the thing checked over before posting it for you readers to, well, read.

However! I have increased in age today ( Oh noes, I'm old D: ), so I have decided to post the last three chapters I have written to ease my mind of my guilt for tonight for not posting as regularly that I really should be. I don't mean to be so irregular with it, but there are things that have come up making me pause in writing.

I also apologize to readers waiting for a new chapter in 'The Sky of Night and Day,' I already planned how I'm making Reborn show up. But, again, I have been distracted. My mom also bought me The Last Story, and I've been playing it. Does not help with my list of distraction. One thing I want to say right now; British accent does NOT fit Syrenne LOL

Also, about their uniform, just imagine whatever type of uniform you'd like 'em to wear, since I REALLY don't like having to describe clothing. I have no fashion sense, so I'd rather not make up a uniform and have people know how bad it is LOL

Ok, sorry for my rambling. Please let me know of my mistakes, and please review my chapters! I'd really appreciate your feedback, since I'm planning on ending this one soon ( just probably five chapters more ) and concentrating on 'The Sky of Night and Day,' and post Reborn's appearance for all you Reborn fans!


	15. Chapter 14

A/N : Hm, so. Well. This is days later that it should. But I finally managed to post it! It's slightly longer than it usually is, so I hope it is acceptable. Also, since school has started for many of us, I will be doing my best to post regularly on Sundays as I did before summer started (or as much as I possibly can, I'm loaded in my courses right now :\). Anyways, please enjoy the chapter, and Reborn's 'mission' will be then next chap, so please expect it!

For this chapter, ALL of the bolded words will be thoughts or words spoken by Tsuna's fire side. I'm sorry I haven't described him very well, but it's basically because there is no one else who has actually SEEN him, nor his Nurarihyon side. When they Sawada duo go on their 'trip,' you'll see what they look like.

Last note, this is (currently) unbetaed. Meaning that even though I have checked this quite a few times, I'm sure there are some parts that don't make sense/are mistakes.

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><p>Something that everyone in Nanimori could agree on was the fact that the young student of Nanimori Primary school was a bloodthirsty child who would truly grow to become fearsome in the future. Indeed, Kyoya himself considered everyone around him to be an 'herbivore,' and not worthy of anything other than being 'bitten to death.'<p>

Yet he couldn't hide his surprise at the young brunet who didn't even stand up to his shoulder standing in front of him now. In a stance that a person could only take as defiance against the one person in Nanimori that he should never defy, or else he would be 'bitten to death.' After a moment of shocked silence, Kyoya said, "Out of my way, herbivore."

Adding onto his surprise, Tsuna shook his head. "**No**." The small timid boy replied, his normally shaky voice firm and resolute. "**I won't let you hurt him**."

"Oh, Tsuna! You actually spoke without stuttering! I think that's a first, hahaha!" Takeshi laughed, completely oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. Well, as serious as it could get for primary school children anyways.

Neither of the boys replied to him as they stared evenly into the other's eyes. Kyoya's tonfa was still pressed hard against Tsuna's forearm, and both were shaking from the pressure of both boys. Their eyes were locked on the other, trying to intimidate the other to back down. Neither did, and it impressed Kyoya. But the herbivore would have to do more than that to convince him that he was at the very least an omnivore. There was only one way to see what this strange herbivore really was.

Quickly bringing up his tonfa, Hibari aimed for an uppercut, trying to bash the brunet's chin with the hard weapon. If the information on the one called Sawada Tsunayoshi was correct, he should be instantly knocked out by the blow and would return to being nothing more than an herbivore.

Somehow, he didn't feel disappointed when rather meeting the young boy's jawbone, it instead met the slightly fleshy fist belonging to Tsuna. He had never looked away for a second during the exchange, but his eyes were firm against Kyoya's as he started even _pushing_ away the tonfa from his face. There was certainly more to this boy than meets the eye, and it made Kyoya's blood run hot as fire through his veins to know that. He was eager to fight this person, this exceptionally rare person who had managed to catch his interest.

But not yet, not until he knew more and could confirm his skills.

Tsuna blinked in surprise when Kyoya stepped back, suspicious of the slight downturn of the boy's lips. Was Kyoya… pouting? Impossible! But… there was no other way to explain the strange look on the raven's face that he had never seen before. He was fully expecting Kyoya to attack him and 'bite him to death' like he usually did, but there was almost a thoughtful air around him. It reminded the brunet of a cautious predator looking at something familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. It was puzzling, to say the least.

But this wasn't the time to think about it, he was going to protect Takeshi. He would never allow someone to be hurt because of him, and he would protect every person in Nanimori! That was his promise, and he refuses to ever break it!

Kyoya was watching the flickering emotions through the boy's eyes, merely observing. Normally, he would have attacked someone with so many openings, but he wanted to know of this strange herbivore's strength. It was definitely there, as he had never encountered someone who could look at his eyes without fear. There was only determination in those brown orbs, along with the faint flickers of orange behind those irises, like fire dancing in the shadows.

He turned away, ignoring the questioning stares at his back and started walking away. "If either of you herbivores disturb the peace of Nanimori again, I will not hesitate to bite you to death." Was the only thing he said before he disappeared around the corner, off to somewhere neither of the boys left behind knew of.

Tsuna could only watch the other leave, suddenly feeling very drained. One of his eyes closed half-way, and he started to pant with some unknown fatigue. Feeling heat coming from his left, he turned to face his identical self bathed in flames. **Hmm, **he said, his head bobbing from side to side. **Maybe it was too soon… I probably put a little too much power into it.**

"W… What are you talking about?" Tsuna panted, not really understanding what he was talking about. "'T-Too s-soon?' Wha… What do you mean?"

The flaming boy waved a hand dismissively in front of him. **We can talk later, when the other brat is up. He's probably still sobering up somewhere.** He grumbled, mumbling the last bit to himself. When he looked back at his human part, he noted that he seemed very exhausted, and the human boy behind him was looking very confused. **Oi, idiot boy, that tall guy is still there. Bet he think's you're all weird like the rest of these kids now.** He grinned, before vanishing in a flash of flames.

Turning around with a shriek, Tsuna's vision swam as he suddenly felt like he couldn't get enough oxygen in his head, but managed to steady himself enough to see Takeshi's blurry form. "Y-Yamamoto-san, a-are y-you… all right?" He asked, his tired state marring his words more than his usual stammer. "Ugh… I… I d-don't f-feel so g-good…"

He saw the shadowed form of the baseball boy move over to him, and a warm hand clasped his shoulder. At that point, he couldn't keep consciousness any longer and passed out.

* * *

><p>"….a..."<p>

"….Tsu…!"

The brunet stirred slightly, barely moving at all.

"…na!..."

Now, there was a shaking motion at his shoulder, moving his body around like a rag doll. Tsuna groaned unconsciously in pain; couldn't he sleep in a little longer?! P.E. was always painful, and he felt particularly awful today…

"….. Tsuna! TSUNA!"

Instantly sitting upright, the boy couldn't help but groan and fall back into the pillow he had been lying on moments before, feeling as though his head was about to explode. What was this pain? And the heavy feeling in his limbs, what the heck had he been doing?

Then in a flash, Tsuna remembered. Kyoko giving him the first aid kit. The bullies forcing their way into the classroom. Takeshi coming in. And also…

"Hibari-san!" Tsuna cried, his eyes wide with fear and desperately ignoring the pounding in his head in favor of looking for the dangerous disciplinarian. If he slept while he was around, then he would surely be 'bitten to death,' and that wasn't the way he wanted to end his extremely short eight year old life.

But all that met his eyes was the clean white walls of a room inside the school, as well as Takeshi sitting on a stool next to the bed he was sitting in. The taller of the pair had a relieved grin on his face, and he looked rather tired. "Ah, you finally woke up! Haha, you were asleep for a long time, I was about to get the nurse." He said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Y-Yamamoto-san… W-what are you d-doing here?" Tsuna asked, surprised that the most popular person his age was talking to him. Usually, the baseball loving boy never talked to the brunet, though that was usually because his friends were careful to keep him away from the useless boy. "W-Where a-am I? S-Shouldn't y-you be in c-class?"

Takeshi laughed at that, not caring too much about classes right now. "Well, lunch ended a while ago. You fainted for some reason after Hibari left, so I thought it would be best if I brought you to the infirmary. I'm sorry though."

The brunet looked confused at that. "F-For what?"

"I couldn't catch you fast enough, so you fell in… well…" The other gestured, looking rather apologetic. Not quite understanding, he looked down and immediately noticed a pungent smell that stung the insides of his nose and made his eyes water. How had he not noticed this before!? Looking down to see the source of the smell, he pulled away the blanket surrounding him and found his clothes to be stained with puke he must have thrown up after he fainted. After being so close to his body heat and under the blanket for so long, it had dried and made the fabric stiff and made Tsuna feel quite disgusting.

"W-What happened?" Tsuna whimpered, scrunching his face at the smell and feeling highly tempted to get rid of the shirt. Normally, he wouldn't strip, especially in public, but it smelled _really_ bad and felt really gross to touch. Without a second thought at the company in the room, he took his shirt off as fast as possible and threw it as far as he could. Unfortunately, it only made it to his feet considering he was still exhausted.

Takeshi didn't really seemed to mind his lack of strength, as he commented, "Wow, Tsuna! That's a great toss!"

"Y-You don't have to lie a-about that…"

There was an awkward silence that settled between them; Tsuna because he never had actually spoken to the other, and Takeshi because he was looking at Tsuna's bare chest with an odd expression.

After a few minutes, Tsuna somehow managed to feel a stare in his direction, and noticed Takeshi staring at him. He wondered why, until he felt the breeze come in from the open window. A brief glance at the soiled shirt at his feet reminded him of what he had done, and he shrieked loud enough for everyone in school to hear before diving beneath the white blankets.

("Eh? Didn't think it would take this long for Muyō Tsuna to wake up.")

"…Tsuna…" Takeshi said, his voice oddly flat and monotone. Didn't he usually sound happy and carefree all the time?

Tsuna decided that maybe it would be a good idea to peek out from under the covers. "Y-Yeah?" He replied, not seeing Takeshi's face as the other was turned away. He missed the slight clench of the other's jaw, as well as the tightening of his fists.

"Are you… being abused at home?" Takeshi asked finally, not moving from his position at all.

Caught off guard, Tsuna sat up, letting the blanket fall around him. "Eh?! No way! Mama is always nice to me! And everyone else in my family too! D-Dad… isn't always around… but… he always plays with me when he comes home!" He yelled, waving his arms in front of him, though he grew quiet when he spoke of Iemitsu.

For a moment, he thought that Takeshi had fallen asleep. He wasn't moving, nor had he made any sound to indicate that he had heard him. Finally, he spoke. "Then… Where did those bruises… come from?"

Guiltily, Tsuna looked away. He attempted to cover himself back up with the blanket, but was stopped with Takeshi reached forward and pulled it out of his reach. Surprised of his forwardness, Tsuna looked into his eyes, and flinched at the burning anger he saw in them. "A-Are you m-mad?" He asked quietly, turning back to stare at his shirt now lying on the tiled floor.

"No. But I will be if you don't tell me what caused those bruises." He heard, and the brunet didn't need to look up to know that the other was angry, which he very rarely was. "And it's not an accident, some of those bruises can't possibly be caused by an accident and not get cuts from it as well. Tell me what happened."

For a moment, Tsuna debated internally with himself. Should he tell him…? But he was friends with them, there was no way he would believe in Muyō Tsuna, the loser of Nanimori. But… He was here right now, talking to him. And he almost seemed like he was willing to be the brunet's friend. So if Takeshi was willing to take that step… Then maybe Tsuna should as well?

He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it after realizing he had no idea how to tell him. That his friends that he hung out with every day was beating him up? Though Tsuna himself didn't have friends, he knew that he wouldn't like it if someone accused a person he was close to. And Takeshi was a kind person who didn't like it when other people accused his friends… Was this really the right thing to do?

"**Those boy's you were with, it's because of them.**" He said without even realizing it, and even blinked at it. Did… He really just say that…? He slowly looked up, and the look in Takeshi's eyes confirmed it; he HAD said it out loud. "**They constantly beat me up all the time for my lunches, and they also tear up my homework whenever they get the chance too.**"

What the heck was he saying?! Was this really him talking? Even if he was planning on telling Takeshi, he wasn't going to say it like _that_! That was just too rude, and the other obviously wasn't going to believe something like that!

Takeshi's head hung low, so he couldn't tell his expression. "Is that true?"

"**Yeah, all of it. You think I would actually beat myself up like this just for fun? And I know that you know about it too.**" Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise as the words left his lips. He knew… He knew that Takeshi knew about him? Takeshi also seemed surprised at the information, as his head shot up and he gave Tsuna a glare. "**What, sore because it's true? You may be a popular guy, and everyone considers you to be 'nice,' but what are you really for allowing bullying to happen and you turn a blind eye to it? You're no better than the rest of them.**"

"Er, this is… Kind of awkward, isn't it?"

Both of them turned to the door to the infirmary, where a sheepish looking Kamui sans wings and Hanayome, dressed in a doctor's garb. "Kamui-san! Hanayome-san!" Tsuna cried, surprised to see them in a human school. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, your mom asked me to take you back. She's off talking to some people about where you're going to stay for the summer, so I'm supposed to take care of you for a while." Kamui said, looking rather uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the room, as well as standing next to Hanayome. On the other hand, the white haired yōkai looked completely unconcerned with the situation as she strode easily into the room. "Ara, what's this? Not feeling well, Tsunayoshi-kun? I'll quickly check you over before sending you home. You should leave, Yamamoto-kun. I'm sure your father's worried about you; school ended half an hour ago!" She said, shooing him out the door. He didn't resist, as he slowly walked out the door, and dragged his feet back to his classroom to get his things.

Once Takeshi was out of sight, Hanayome shut the door and gave a deep sigh. "Geeze~ That was troublesome. Honestly, what were you thinking, Tsuna-kun? I've never seen you speak to someone like that." She huffed, her tone soft but reprimanding. "You won't make any friends if you talk like that."

"**As if it's your problem, you old hag.**" Tsuna said before he could stop himself, and he clamped his hands over his mouth and fell out of the bed when he saw Hanayome jump at him.

"You want to repeat that?!" She hissed, the room becoming cold as she started to use her abilities. Kamui was instantly behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulder to restrain her. "Stop it! Stop it now! That's Nana's _son_ you're threatening! She'll kill us if she finds out we hurt him! Besides, you know he doesn't talk like that!" He hissed, groaning in pain when a flailing limb smacked him in the face.

Her nostrils still flaring in anger, Hanayome calmed down enough to let Kamui let go of her, but not without elbowing him squarely between his ribs. "I don't care of the consequences; don't get in my way next time!" She hissed, glaring Kamui down. After a timid nod from the bird yōkai, she turned back to see Tsuna's small form bowing on the floor. "What are you doing?" She asked, one of her eyebrows arched gracefully.

"I-I-I-I'm v-v-very s-s-sorry! I-I-I d-d-don't k-k-k-k-know w-w-w-why I s-s-said that t-to y-y-you or Y-Y-amamoto-san!" He stammered, his entire body drenched in a cold sweat, and shaking uncontrollably. It probably wasn't the best idea to threaten the boy while he knew she was a yōkai. Turning back to Kamui, he sent her a look at meant she should apologize. Obviously, there was something going on here. Tsuna wouldn't have the guts to say that to someone's face, and even then, it didn't warrant Hanayome aiming to 'discipline' the boy using her yōkai powers.

"Well, I'm sorry too." She said after a moment, "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. My apologize, Tsuna-kun." The Jorōgumo bowed deeply in an apologetic stance.

"N-No! I shouldn't have said that! T-Though… I… I don't know why I did… I wasn't _thinking_ that… It was almost as if… Someone _else_ said it…" Tsuna said, trailing off and missing the shared look between Hanayome and Kamui. There was almost a silent conversation between the two before they gave a nod, and Hanayome left. "E-Eh? W-Where's Hanayome-san going? I-I-I-Is s-s-she m-m-mad a-at m-m-me?" Tsuna whimpered, his eyes becoming wide and watery with terror at the thought. An angry yōkai was the most terrifying thing in Tsuna's point of view.

Kamui crouched down next to the boy, patting his head gently. He flinched and removed his hand, however, when he felt a spark burn his fingertips from somewhere in the depths of Tsuna's hair. He looked at the smoking appendage for a moment before hiding it behind his back. "D-Don't worry about it, Tsunayoshi-kun. You're starting to develop yōkai abilities; I heard Nana was the same way too." He said nervously, ignoring Tsuna's questioning stare. "Anyways, she's not mad at you. It's just… a bit surprising for her since you usually don't speak like that to others."

"**Surprised? More like she wanted to rip my head off for a truthful comment, idiot bird.**" Tsuna's voice came, this time turning his expression into an irritated scowl. Kioku blinked, though he made no other movement. "**What the hell are you doing here, anyways? I don't need some damn bird keeping an eye on me, never mind some crossdressing yōkai.**"

Kioku was silent for a moment, before reaching over and giving the brunet a noogie. "Alright, that's it. I can only handle so much disrespect, and that's just about my limit. Though I regret that your human self will wake up with several bruises, I will _not_ regret ripping you through a few new ones." He grinned, cracking his knuckles with several harsh pops, as well as his wings appearing behind him.

Tsuna started backing up, with his back hitting the wall. "**Whoa, whoa, whoa there. You wouldn't dare, I can burn off your sparkly wings! Actually, I don't mind that so much…**" He said, now looking thoughtful.

The older yōkai was slightly fearful of the younger boy eyeing his wings like that, but he wasn't going to back down now. He was much older than Tsuna, so if he surrendered like this now, he was going to be the laughingstock of the clan for weeks! And… if… _Zuki_ found out… He shook his head as a shudder wracked through his body, not wanting to know the consequences. No matter how difficult it may be, he had to discipline this boy, who had decided to become the next head of the group here. If he wanted to become a leader, he had to learn to become someone everyone would look up to with fear.

Even if the little brat's hair was starting to waver with tongues of orange licking the air above it, his eyes changing to a sharper redder shade, and the flames that seemed to leak from his finger tips. In reply to the silent threat, he allowed his wings to appear once more in all their feathery glory, and opened them wide, trying to make himself bigger than he actually was. He wasn't quite sure if Tsuna would back down from this, but he would have to be very careful not to be touched by his flames. He knew that well from experience.

* * *

><p>Takeshi sighed into his hands, still waiting. The rest of the students had long gone home with their parents, leaving Takeshi, Tsuna and other staff still remaining at the school. He thought he heard several booms, but he was sure it was the sky. It was becoming an ominous dark gray, and Takeshi could almost smell the scent of fresh water. He gave a small quirk of a smile; the rain always somehow made him feel at ease, even when everyone else complained about it. Maybe it was due to his heritage, but he enjoyed it regardless.<p>

As small dark dots began appearing on ground around him, Takeshi remained where he sat and thought. After the conversation with Tsuna up in the infirmary, the raven haired boy couldn't get his words out of his mind.

"_**Those boy's you were with, it's because of them. They constantly beat me up all the time for my lunches, and they also tear up my homework whenever they get the chance too.**__"_

"_Is that true?"_

"_**Yeah, all of it. You think I would actually beat myself up like this just for fun? And I know that you know about it too. What, sore because it's true? You may be a popular guy, and everyone considers you to be 'nice,' but what are you really for allowing bullying to happen and you turn a blind eye to it? You're no better than the rest of them.**__"_

Takeshi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had wanted to deny it, to say that it wasn't true, but he found he couldn't. For all that he wished it wasn't, it was true; he had heard of his classmates talking about beating up Tsuna, but he had thought they were joking and laughed about it with them. When he saw Tsuna later with bruises that hadn't been there before, he just figured the boy had tripped somewhere like he usually did. It wasn't uncommon, and Takeshi himself had seen him fall over countless times when there was absolutely nothing in his way.

"_**You're no better than the rest of them.**__"_

No, he wasn't like them. The baseball loving child grimaced. He had made a promise with his mother that he would smile, and that he would make everyone around him smile, too. If he couldn't do that, wouldn't that mean he failed his mother, who he loved more than anyone in the world? She wouldn't have wanted him to lose that brilliant smile, or cause negative feelings to grow in another person. He might not be fully capable of doing it yet, but he promised that he would. And that meant that he would begin with Tsuna, who had been bullied more than anyone else he had ever known.

When the door slid open and voices became known, Takeshi didn't even notice. He was too enveloped in his thoughts and the sensation of rain on his skin to realize the person he was waiting for was walking right past him. It wasn't until he felt the rain stop and the unmistakable feeling of warm body heat that was close by that he snapped his eyes open to regard the new person in surprise.

Tsuna looked at him rather sheepishly, holding an orange umbrella over their heads as he shifted on his feet. When Takeshi didn't say anything but stare at the brunet in surprise, Tsuna seemed to grow rather uncomfortable. "I-I… I… Just wanted to say… I'm sorry…" He managed finally.

Takeshi still didn't reply, as his mind didn't quite understand what he was saying.

"It was wrong… of me to say something like that." Tsuna continued, his face becoming rather guilty. "I shouldn't have said something like that to you, it wasn't right, and it wasn't fair. I don't know what made me say that, but I deeply regret it. I… Don't hope for your forgiveness, but… I am sorry. That's all that I wanted to say."

The raven haired boy's eyes widened now, now registering that Tsuna was now leaving and he might not get the opportunity to speak to him like this again. "W-Wait!" He cried, snapping his arm forward and locking his finger's around Tsuna's wrist, causing him to drop the umbrella and drench both of them heavily with the rain. He wondered if the boy's arm was always this thin. "I wanted to say something too. You… were right. I heard them talk about it, but I never said anything."

"No, that's—"

Moving quickly, Takeshi's free hand covered Tsuna's mouth, stopping him from speaking. "No. I shouldn't have let someone be bullied, especially when they were talking about it right in front of me. I should have taken it seriously, but I didn't, and this is what happened. I promise to help you, and keep them from bullying you, and prevent anything from hurting you again."

Tsuna was silent, looking carefully into Takehi's honest brown eyes. In them, he saw regret yet strong determination, and knew that he wasn't lying. He nodded slowly, removing the other's hand from his mouth. "Yamamoto-san… You don't have to. I… I'm used to it. This… It isn't the first time."

Takeshi flinched at that and looked like he wanted to protest, but held back as the smaller boy seemed to have more to say. "But… I've never had a friend to stay by my side."

In an instant, Takeshi's bright smile returned and he wrapped an arm around Tsuna's shoulders. "Then I'll be your friend! Ahaha, I'll be your support whenever you need it!"

The two boys exchanged wide smiles and left the school together to go to Yamamoto's house, the umbrella lying on the ground forgotten behind them. Once they had disappeared around the school gates, someone stepped out into the rain and sighed before picking up the discarded umbrella. Looking at where the pair had disappeared, he gave a wistful smile as he looked up into the darkened sky.

"He's starting to become a Sky…"


	16. Chapter 15

A/N : I didn't post last week… Sorry. I had wanted to, but I have intense studying to do. Sorry if this seems kind of short to any of you readers, I had some things planned that I had to do this weekend, and I'm going on a cruise next week, so I'm not entirely sure I can post next week either. I will try! Ah, that reminds me. The next part is the last bit I have planned before moving onto _The Skies of Night and Day_, so unless any of you guys give me any last minute requests you want to have in this story, I will be ending it in (hopefully) two chapters and move on.

A kiseru is a Japanese smoking pipe, which is basically what Nurarihyon smokes in canon. It says pipe in the translation I read, but I think kiseru is the proper term for it. Just to clear up any confusion you may have about it.

Bouche Croquant is Timoteo's Mist Guardian. Just wanted to point that out.

Again, this chapter is unbetaed. If any mistakes (I know there is a lot, I apologize) or confusion, just ask.

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><p><em>Scritch, scratch<em>

_Scratch, scritch_

No matter how long the sound of pen on paper went on, to the Vongola Ninth boss, it didn't seem that the paperwork seemed to grow any shorter. Actually, now that he thought about it, it seemed that they were multiplying. If he finished one stack, there were two stacks waiting for his approval. If he moved a stack to a different place in his office, there would be another stack where it had been. If it wasn't for the fact that he had been a boss for an extremely long time and knew his Guardians very well, he would have thought that the paper was reproducing.

Of course, that wasn't possible anyway you see it, but it was very hard not to believe it when the secretary managed to bring all this massive amounts of paperwork into his office without him noticing at all.

Wait a minute; was that tiny stack of paper wearing a diaper?

Timoteo sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose. He _really_ needed a break if he was hallucinating that his paperwork was having a family right on his desk. Or maybe Bouche was trying to mess with him for some unnamed reason. "Maybe I can talk to Reborn," he sighed, getting up to walk out of the room. He decided to forgo his cane, since it was only a small trip down the hallway to where Reborn would be in his room.

In one of the rooms of the building, there are wide windows with the curtains drawn back, allowing warm sunlight to stream into the room, though the air conditioning prevented to room from heating too much for the occupant. The only person in the room was a small infant slumbering in a plush chair with a bubble coming from his nose, along with a tiny green chameleon sitting on the rim of a fedora on the baby's head that also had a bubble coming from where one would assume its nose would be. Unlike most children, or most creatures in general, who close their eyes when they slept, neither of the two closed their eyes and stared off somewhere ahead of them unseeingly as continued to sleep.

At the same moment, both bubbles burst but neither made any movement. Without the baby saying a word, the door softly clicked open and an old man walked in.

"Nono," the baby greeted, his voice as high as a normal child. The small reptile on his fedora bowed his head slightly, also showing respect in its own way to the old man.

Timoteo smiled, "Reborn." he greeted warmly. "Enjoyed your nap?"

"It was well enough, I suppose." Reborn replied, his tone neutral. "Shouldn't you be working on your paperwork? I heard Coyote searching for you earlier."

The old man chuckled lightly before moving into the room, settling into an armchair that wasn't too far from where the infant hitman sat. "I hope you didn't tell him where I had gone. I've been working tirelessly with it, and I _do_ need a break from time to time."

The baby stared at him unblinkingly, and turned away to look out the window. Though his face remained expressionless, Timoteo could almost see what was running through the baby's mind. Even the strongest hitman in the world couldn't hide all of his secrets from someone who carried the famous Vongola Hyper Intuition. "Reborn." he said with his meaning embedded in the name.

Reborn didn't turn back, but he understood what the old man was asking about. It was the mission Timoteo had asked him to carry out in Japan, though the old man had previously promised not to investigate any further into the matter. "It's nothing." Reborn said, turning to look at his boss. "It's not something for you to worry about."

"Oh, but it is." Timoteo countered. "It is very rare to see you become irritated, and even rarer not to share with anyone the reasoning for it. I know very well you have been investigating something, though I don't quite understand why you are looking into something like that."

"It's more of a matter of personal interest, Nono." Reborn replied. Crossing his arms in front of him, he wished he had some espresso at the moment. It would have helped calm the irritation coming back into his mind. It wasn't directed at Nono, he respected the man highly and the old man was all too careful not to do things that would irritate or anger his subordinates when possible. Most other people would not have noticed, but Timoteo was well experienced with reading Reborn's poker faces.

"Maybe I can shed some light on your problem." Timoteo said gently, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "If you explain what happened, it might be possible I can provide some information you need."

The little chameleon sitting on Reborn's wide fedora brim, Leon, flicked his tongue forward, bringing both human's attention to him. They were both slightly surprised, as Leon normally didn't act on his own without Reborn's commands outside of combat. They watched him carefully, wondering what he would do. He transformed, falling into Timoteo's surprised hands in the shape of a beautifully made kiseru. Though it wasn't one normally found throughout Europe, Timoteo easily identified it as an antique found during the Edo period of Japan.

"Is this pipe involved with what happened in Japan?" he asked, turning the pipe about as he inspected it. He was well aware of Leon's abilities, and knew that the real one would fetch an exceedingly high price both for the fact that pipes like this weren't made anymore, and the intricate design and exquisite craftsmanship was impeccable. If memory served correctly, then this pipe he held in his hands should be deteriorating, and rust should be covering the mouthpiece and head. Yet a swift glance would show the end pieces of the pipe were polished to a soft shine, and the wooden stem was still smooth and firm

Though Reborn was reluctant to tell the truth, he had no choice when the question was asked by the Vongola Nono. "Yes, that pipe belongs to an old man in Japan. I don't know if he's a local, but he is definitely Japanese." he answered, pulling his fedora down over his eyes.

Timoteo hummed, deep in thought. He eyed the pipe carefully before handing it back to Reborn, who held his hand out and his partner jumped onto it in its lizard form once more. After letting the little reptile back onto its usual perch on his fedora, the Vongola boss spoke. "I assume this person is no ordinary man, as it shouldn't be difficult to find people owning a pipe at this time."

Reborn nodded. "I have researched extensively in Japan, and I have found that no one has made any pipes within the last fifty years at least, and there is no one in the profession of pipe making or repairing alive. I also investigated auctions, both legal and underground ones, in order to find who the owner might have been, but none of the pipes they ever sold ever matched that pipe."

"A very perplexing problem indeed, Reborn." Timoteo sighed, leaning back into his chair and folding his hands into his lap. He was silent for a moment as thoughts ran through his mind, and asked, "This man you met… What did he look like?"

For an instant, Timoteo thought he saw a frustrated expression that almost resembled a childish pout, before it was wiped away into professional aloofness. It surprised the Vongola boss to see such an expression from someone he trusted and knew well enough to know he rarely showed any of his inner feelings to others. No matter how critical the situation would be. From Reborn's mannerism, Timoteo deduced that the man had either angered the hitman (which wasn't likely), or had embarrassed him in some way (even more unlikely).

"Reborn?"

"An old man…"

Timoteo leaned forward a little. "Pardon?"

Reborn leaned his head back, staring with unblinking black eyes into the Vongola Nono's own brown ones. "It was an old man who was very short with an elongated head."

Surprised at such an odd description, Timoteo settled back into his chair with a thoughtful look. He had seen that description somewhere, a person that he had met many years ago that fit that information. But who…?

A sudden image flashed behind his mind, of when he had attended Iemitsu's wedding to Nana all those years ago and he had met her family members who had attended. At that time… Hadn't there been an old man who fit that description?

Timoteo stood up suddenly, heading towards the door. "Reborn, follow me. I think I might know who that man is." he said, walking off to his private library where he had hidden away important and private things to him. He ignored surprised gasps of the servants and the faint roar of Coyote's voice demanding to know why he was not still in his office filling out his paperwork about the damage compensation from last week. The Vongola boss nearly faltered his pace at the thought of the numerous amounts of papers to read and sign, but continued on to his destination, Reborn close in tow.

Once he reached his personal libraries, he went over to a shelf, holding his hand up to the spines of the many books there. Being very careful, he slowly lit up his Sky flames, concentrating it to certain points in his hand before pressing it gently against the books. With a soft rustle, the books rustled softly before the Mist flames appeared and swirled around them. Before the two important figures of the mafia world, the room itself seemed to change as the room slowly trickled into a more personal appearing room. Pictures of Timoteo with his family and Guardians as well as other comrades he had decorated the small yet cozy room, and the furniture gave a more homey feeling rather than the majestic and sophisticated furniture that decorated the rest of the home. Timoteo had never said a word about it, but everyone knew that this was his private sanctuary that he used when the mafia world became too much for him. He kept this place safe above all else, as there were important things that he had to protect hidden in this room as well. For a person to be brought to this room showed great trust that the Vongola Nono had in the other.

The Vongola boss ignored the feeling of wanting to just sit in the chair and observe the calm outside, and instead went to a part of the room that contained a number of books that didn't have any words. After checking through them carefully, he pulled out a rather plain soft orange book that was rather wide with the covered decorated by ribbons and bells. Opening the cover revealed that the book was a photo album, as were the other books it had been pulled from. It was from the time Nana and Iemitsu had gotten married, and a photographer from the Vongola had gone around taking pictures of everyone in attendance. It was mostly for the good warm memories that Timoteo felt that the group Giotto had founded needed to become what it had used to be, but it was also for security purposes. If something had happened at the wedding, though no one in the Vongola would have allowed such a thing, pictures would be required to ensure that every last detail was taken as well as every guest who was present to the event.

Flipping through the album quickly, Timoteo soon found what he was looking for. It was a picture of the guests who were from Nana's side, all of them posing for a picture with the new bride. As there was a surprising amount of people in the group, they had to arrange the group to go from shortest to tallest, with Nana being in the middle of the group. For some strange reason, the picture had been rather vague, rather than clear. Of course, it captured their faces and the lighting was perfect as the photographer had meant for it to be, but the picture somehow seemed slightly hazy. But it still held the face that the Vongola boss had been looking for.

"Is this the man you're talking about, Reborn?" he asked, turning the album around and giving it to the hitman to examine. The infant held the album in front of him, having to use the floor to keep it upright while he held the edges with his small hands. Unconsciously, they tightened but Timoteo couldn't see his eyes to determine what kind of emotion was going through him.

"It's him."

Timoteo nodded, "I had thought so." he headed towards a chair placed by the window and sat down in it, gesturing for Reborn to sit in the chair next to his. The infant complied, jumping up on to the chair with ease a baby of his age should not have. The photo album remained open to the page with the group, with Reborn's eyes trained on the old man in the picture though the onyx orbs were hidden beneath his fedora. "I know you have questions, Reborn. If you want to know, just ask. I'm sure it'll be easier for me to answer them for you rather than you terrifying my subordinates into finding out for you." he chuckled, a warm smile on his face.

Reborn gave no reply, but the slight smirk on his lips gave him away. It disappeared quickly as Reborn looked up, back to business all over again. "I assume he is related to Nana." he stated.

The other man nodded. "From what I remember, he introduced himself as Nana's uncle. I am sure there is also a picture of just Nana's close relatives, let's see…" he muttered, picking up the album once more and flipping through it a few more pages before placing it back in front of Reborn. There were now fewer people in the picture, and the picture had become clearer, though Reborn noted it was still slightly blurry. The hitman decided that the photographer should be shot for doing such a horrid job of taking pictures at a CEDEF leader's wedding.

"I know," Timoteo chuckled. "I thought the same. However, I trust the person who had been taking the pictures. And it appears that only in pictures with Nana's side in them appear blurry. Every picture without them is crystal clear."

Looking at the picture carefully, Reborn noted that there were only five people in the picture. The old man he had encountered was the only elder, yet Timoteo had said he was Nana's uncle, not father or grandfather. "I wasn't aware Nana had siblings." He said, staring at the three others in the photograph.

"She doesn't. The man with the black hair and amber eyes is her cousin, though they are around the same age from what I've heard. The couple standing behind her are her parents. Incidentally, her father is the older brother of her uncle." He said, his tone wistful, though he was careful to watch for Reborn's actions.

"What? They look around the same age as Nana and her cousin! For her father to be older… What kind of family are they?" Reborn muttered, looking into the picture intently. "Do you have any information on the uncle?"

Timoteo looked at him sternly, a sharp look in his eyes. "Are you sure this is the man, Reborn?" He asked, using the tone he usually used with subordinates. Reborn knew that he wasn't exactly viewed as a subordinate, but he was someone who had finally inherited Primo's will in the end. He didn't want any more bloodshed at the Vongola's hands, and he wanted to do whatever he could to ease the sin he had caused by being the Vongola Nono and the bosses who came after Giotto's reign.

"Of course. I am not the greatest hitman in the world for making mistakes. And I wouldn't make a mistake like this where it involves ordinary people. I know how much you want to protect them like Primo did in his time." Reborn said, his tone holding understanding even if his eyes didn't show it. "Besides, this person is not as ordinary as he appears. I have to be sure if I'm going to deal with him."

Timoteo sighed heavily, "Reborn, you always speak of him as though he has done something to personally aggravate you, but I don't quite understand what it is he could've done. I met him personally, and he seemed to be nothing more than an old man. No different from other old people. If you're going to investigate any further, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you what it is he's done to you to make you feel this way."

For a moment, Reborn was silent.

"Reborn," Timoteo said gently as though he was dealing with one of his sons. "I know this isn't something you normally like to talk about, but I can't turn a blind eye on a situation like this. This is a supposedly normal person we're talking about, not a Mafioso of any famiglia. I do not want any more people to be killed because of the Vongola."

Thought he didn't really want to say it, Reborn supposed he had no real choice in the matter. He was aware his emotions were clouding his judgement on the matter, and it would be good to have Timoteo's Hyper Intuition helping him as well. And if the old man really was of relation to Iemitsu's wife, then he might possibly find out what the old man really was.

If he _was,_ in fact, an old man.

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><p><em>One week ago…<em>

"Another mission accomplished," Reborn smirked, tucking his smoking gun back into his pristine suit. He wasn't playing any child's game like he appeared to be, but a real and dangerous one that made him renowned for being the greatest hitman in the world, as well as being called the strongest Arcobaleno. It actually wasn't a particularly difficult mission for the hitman, just eliminating a growing famiglia who were trafficking children as test subjects for 'projects.' Though it wasn't actually too uncommon at this point in time, Timoteo still tried to prevent it whenever possible. If he had allowed such a thing to pass, it would be almost like saying he would willingly put his sons through the same treatment. And everyone was aware of how the Vongola boss cared for his sons, though he hid that behind a merciless mask in the underground world.

Reborn quickly yet expertly examined the famiglia's base of operations, making sure to eliminate any means that even hinted that the famiglia could rise again. Unfortunately, this also applied to the test subjects as well as too many were too far gone to go through ordinary life again. Though no hint of emotion flickered through Reborn's infantile face, he regretted having to kill so many young children who had the potential to live a full life, or even go back to the homes they knew before this entire nightmare had started. It wouldn't have mattered if they went back though, as every single one of them had been willingly sold for selfish means by their parents and guardians.

As the infant hitman left the building, he used Leon to call in some men from the CEDEF in order to clean up the mess and make sure there were no connections to the Vongola. Though he was always careful enough to make sure no trace was left behind, it never hurt in Reborn's line of work to be cautious. He left as the men began their work, deciding to take a brief break before calling Timoteo and returning to Italy to train his idiot student. Knowing him, he probably forgot it was the rainy season and had decided to let Enzo wander around outside for some exercise.

"Hmm, it's been a while. Maybe they finally managed to make good expresso here." Reborn murmured to himself as he wandered down the street, looking at potential cafes. There were a surprising amount of shops built here over time, but they didn't seem to give off a good smell of the freshly ground beans that Reborn favoured. "Or maybe they need to train more." He muttered darkly.

There wasn't too much to see, since it was still school time so children and their parents were still at work. It didn't matter to the hitman either way, but he thought it would have been interesting to see _something_. Maybe something else he could use to help him 'teach' his student to be not quite so useless. He had certainly improved, there was no argument about that, but it wasn't enough to satisfy the hitman. He _refused_ to go down as the trainer of the Dame Tenth boss of the Chiavarone who always carelessly left his pet snapping turtle around large bodies of water and smacked himself in the back of his head with his own weapon by accident. He still had a reputation to keep, after all.

As the hitman continued down the street, he felt movement on his fedora. He paused, slightly surprised. Leon would usually stay asleep in between missions, and would wake up once Reborn had settled down with an espresso to eat something. He felt the light steps of the small chameleon walking around the wide band, before changing shape to become an arrow in front of Reborn's face. It blinked an obnoxiously bright green neon color that was impossible to ignore, though there were no words indicating where he wanted Reborn to go. When he reached a hand forward, Leon changed once more into a small GPS with directions, though Reborn wasn't entirely sure where it led. If he was right, Leon wanted him to go through several backstreets to a building somewhere therein. He didn't quite know why, but he trusted his partner like his partner trusted him, so he decided to follow the directions. It wasn't as though there was something that could harm him anyways.

After a few minutes of walking, Reborn found himself standing in front of a relatively small establishment that bore a delightfully delicious smell of espresso inside. Leon had changed back and resumed its nap on the fedora, so he was sure this was the place the chameleon wanted to take him. There was a sign in the front reading a store name, but it had faded over the years until the outline of the characters were barely visible anymore. The outside walls and windows were still clean, showing that they still had business despite being on such an empty tucked away corner of town.

Deciding that there was nothing else to do but go in and see how the espresso tasted, Reborn opened the door and entered. Inside, it had a rather homey feeling as it was furnished in a traditional Japanese room style, something that wasn't often found anymore. There was a bar in the front with several stools lined along it, as well as several tables scattered around the room. There weren't very many people in the restaurant at the moment, so Reborn opted to sit at the bar.

The only one sitting there was an old man with a strangely long head drinking what appeared to be sake and a bowl of noodles in front of him, half-eaten. He was conversing with the waitress, who appeared to be a young woman with a friendly air around her. She looked like a local, but didn't have any outstanding features other than long bushy hair that gleamed beautifully black with navy blue highlights in the low light. She didn't appear at all to be dangerous, so Reborn didn't pay her much mind. Her garb was that of a yukata, a light lavender with darker purple butterflies fluttering around. With the way she moved around, the butterflies almost seemed like they were moving.

Once he jumped up onto the stool, both of them paused in their conversation to take a look at him. "Ara, a child?" the woman said, her brows raised in surprise and covered her mouth with her sleeve in a graceful movement. Reborn had the impression she was an old style conservative woman; not often among young people anymore. "It's not often that we seen one… Are you picking up an order for your family?" She asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Reborn looked up, meeting her eyes. "I smelled espresso, so I came in to have some." He said simply. He was mildly surprised when the woman merely blinked in surprise at the blunt request.

"If a brat like you starts drinking coffee, you'll never be taller than this old man." A voice said gruffly next to him, and Reborn didn't have to turn to know that it was the only other person sitting at the bar; the old man. He was drinking some tea, which he put down in front of him while gazing ahead of him once he noticed he had Reborn's attention. "So eat healthy food, and grow up properly!"

"…You're a weird old man."

Spluttering, the old man looked at him with a shocked expression with the waitress giggling at them. "W-Weird?! I'll have you know I'm a highly respected person! My grandson aims to become just like me!" He huffed, blowing hot out of his nose.

"Hn. An old man bragging about grandchildren? How pathetic." Reborn replied, starting to get a little irritated. "Can you get me an espresso now? I haven't had it since this morning."

The woman walked back into the kitchen, calling back, "Yes, yes, just wait a moment, please!"

The old man had turned back away by now, muttering about how disrespectful young children seemed to be compared to his adoring young grandson. As Reborn examined him carefully, he knew that there was nothing potentially dangerous about him; just a harmless old man. He was probably from a village from long ago since he still dressed in olden time kimonos rather than more western style of clothes other elderly people seemed to wear.

On the other hand, it seemed that his partner had a different opinion of the old man, as it hopped off of Reborn's fedora, and walked over to where he sat and stared at him. He returned the stare, and then Leon licked his wrinkled hand before curling up beside the steaming cup of tea to nap again.

"An interesting choice of pet you have there, not many like to have a reptile." The old man said, stroking Leon's head with the tip of his finger gently. If Reborn wasn't a professional hitman, he would've missed the blissful smile on his partner's face.

Reborn was wary now, unused to seeing Leon acting so friendly to other people. "He's my partner." He replied simply, deciding it be best not to give away too much information until he knew more about him.

The old man gave a smirk, "Really, now? Well, I suppose he would since he seems to trust you a great deal."

Reborn remained silent as the woman came back with a cup of espresso with steam rising from it. It gave off a heavenly aroma that sent Reborn's taste buds aching for it before it even tasted it. "I wasn't sure what you would like, so I'll be placing the cream and sugar right here for you. Use however much you like; enjoy!" She said with a smile, before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Taking his first sip, Reborn had to admit he was impressed. On the last trip to Japan he had made a few months ago, he hadn't been able to find a shop that made decent espresso. Yet by chance, he had somehow stumbled upon this place that made an excellent tasting caffeinated drink that rivaled some of the ones he favored back in Italy. It was truly an amazing and rare event.

"Enjoying it that much, eh?" The old man said, bursting into his thoughts. "Kega-chan always knows how to make delicious drinks. She won't admit it, but she always manages to make it exactly perfect to the customer's taste."

The hitman said nothing, as he sipped his beloved espresso more. He probably just lived around here anyways and frequented this shop often for its food. He looked like the kind of person to do that, anyways.

"I suppose I should get going," The old man said after a few moments. "Those morons are probably drinking up my entire supply of sake. And with those heavy weights all there…" As he stood in the doorway, he paused and turned to look over his shoulder. He was silent for a few moments, then said before leaving, "You should probably hurry up and go back to your boss. There are things going on around here it'd be best you don't mess about in. And small children shouldn't play with such dangerous weapons, they might get hurt. Anyways, thanks!"

Once he had left, Reborn wasn't quite sure what to say. There were not-quite-subtle hints in words, and the teasing tone in them obviously made it seem he knew what he was talking about. He hadn't let anything on, though. Leon was still lying comfortably next to the cup of tea, and didn't seem uncomfortable at all with the old man's presence. He decided that right now, he would go back to Italy and then find out more information on the old man. He finished his espresso and flagged the woman to pay for his beverage. However, upon reaching into his suit, he realized that something was not right.

"Strange," he muttered, "I'm sure that I brought it with me when I left the hotel."

"Something wrong?"

He looked up, and said, "I don't have my wallet with me, so can I put the espresso on credit?"

The woman shook her head with a small look of regret and replied, "No, we don't do credit. Too many customers don't repay their debts, so we lose business quite easily. I'm really sorry, but you will have to compensate with something if you can't pay for it."

Normally, Reborn would have just threatened her and left without paying, but he decided he would at least give her something for her troubles. It had been quite a while since he has such a good espresso, and he thought she should be paid for being such a good Brewster. But for some strange reason, he didn't seem to have any of the guns he used with him either. He always, at the very least, carried a small handgun for in case something happened. Of course, it never did, but being cautious never hurt. And it was also easier to threaten civilians into giving him free espresso with it anyways.

But this time, he didn't even have _that_, and Leon was still sleeping despite Reborn's pointed stares. He was basically weaponless, and he didn't hit people unless they were his no good students or people who had to be taught. Timoteo always rather have peace now in his old age rather than constant fighting all the time. Just as he was about to say he had nothing to compensate with, the old man returned.

"Ah, Kega-chan! I forgot something back here, so I came back to get it." He said, strolling back over to his seat. Reaching over, he picked up the kiseru that had been lying on the counter next to Leon. "I overheard your little problem, so I'll help you out this time." The old man said with a pointed stare, and then turned to the waitress and gave her large wad of cash.

"Thank you, come again!" She said as she waved them good-bye. Reborn tilted his fedora as a way of farewell before scooping up Leon and depositing him back on his fedora, still fast asleep. The pair left the building, and wandered down the streets a bit before Reborn decided to speak his mind. "Why did you help me?"

The old man chuckled, "You are young. I suppose you remind me of my grandson in a way. I'm not really sure why, thought. Maybe it's your appearance…?"

"Do I look alike to your grandson?" Reborn asked, pulling his fedora down over his eyes as he tried to analyze this strange old man. He had a feeling to him that didn't belong to old people, but the Greatest Hitman in the World was reluctant to admit he didn't know what it was.

When he didn't get a reply, he looked up to see the old man's face set in an expression that Reborn would describe best fitting 'ehhhhhhh?'

The old man shook his hand in front of him in a dismissive gesture, saying, "No way, my grandson is much more adorable. Besides, he doesn't have the same interests as _you_. Anyways, it's getting late. All my sake is probably gone, so I better get back and kick their asses for drinking without me."

Reborn nodded, "Thanks for helping me out."

"Helping you?" The surprised expression changed into a mischievous look. "Oh, that? That wasn't my money. That was all of yours. From all the weapons you were carrying in your suit and in your hotel room. Oh, and here's your wallet, by the way. All the extra money is in there. Well, _ciao_."

The Number One Hitman in the World, The Strongest Arcobaleno of his generation, the renowned hitman trusted by Vongola Nono, watched as the old man literally disappear right before his eyes with a roguish grin.

* * *

><p>"…"<p>

"…"

"That… Hm…" Timoteo said, trying to find the right words to say without ticking the hitman off. Even if he worked for him, that didn't mean that he couldn't be disrespectful or careless around him.

"Don't worry, about it, Nono. I'm fine with it now." Reborn said, though his body language was suggesting he was still angry about the subject. He hid the rage carefully though, and only a very light murderous intent manage to leak out to those who were adept at detecting it. He decided that he had talked enough about it, and decided to change the topic. "How is that son of Iemitsu's, anyways? I heard about the fire."

Timoteo nodded, though he still had a rather distracted expression. "Ah, yes, well, apparently there was an attack at his house while was gone. We have workers rebuilding it, but it could still take a while since they're also investigating the flames that apparently burnt it down."

"Storm Flames, if I'm not mistaken." Reborn said.

The boss nodded. "That is what Iemitsu reported it to be. We can't be too sure since we didn't have enough people at the sight in time, but Iemitsu managed to find the famiglia responsible for the attack and dealt with them accordingly." He said, with a very small twinge of regret.

Reborn prodded on. "What about his son? And Nana? Where are they staying for the time being?"

Timoteo sat up straight and leaned back into his chair. "Iemitsu told me that Tsuna's school has let out for the summer, so they will be staying at a friend of Nana's until the repairs are done. I'm not sure where it is, but apparently is far to the north of Japan. It should be safe, as it's far away from here and it will keep them unaware of the mafia while we continue investigation there."

"Do they have anyone to watch them? If it's isolated, that could be more dangerous than if they were here. If an enemy famiglia found out he could be a potential heir, then they wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him. Especially if he and Nana are alone." Reborn said, his tone quite professional now and all signs of anger disappeared.

Thinking about it carefully, the old boss had to agree with the hitman. It was certain a great risk, especially so with the attack on Iemitsu's house. And with Iemitsu having no choice but to return to the CEDEF in order to investigate the incident, it left Nana and Tsuna widely unprotected. It had been fine before since any information regarding Primo's line was a highly regarded secret, and Iemitsu had insisted on giving Tsuna a normal life without any contact with the mafia. Even with the Hyper Intuition locked away, Tsuna somehow had a feeling whenever he was being watched.

If this was just a normal vacation and there was no threat on Iemitsu's family, Timoteo would let this pass. But he was a father, too. He worried for his children whenever they went out on a mission, that fear that something might happen because he involved with the mafia and he couldn't do anything about it because of his leadership duties that tied him down.

"I'm sorry, Reborn. But would you be able to do it?" Timoteo asked. "I would ask one of my Guardians, but I doubt they would be able to hide themselves as well as you can."

"Of course not," the infant replied, pulling down his fedora to cover his eyes. "I am the Number One Hitman. They have the responsibility of protecting you, so they can't be hiding all the time."

Timoteo gave a grandfatherly smile. "Alright, I'll find out the location and send it to you as soon as possible. Be prepared to leave, I heard they'll be leaving in a few days."

* * *

><p>Also, I worry that I placed Reborn OOC. If you don't mind, I'd like some feedback on how I wrote him.<p> 


	17. Chapter 16

_FWOOSH!_

"You little brat! That's the fifth one this week!"

"Buzz off, it's not my fault; the flames just keep coming up!"

"Well, then just stop using them then! We'll be out of weapons before we find out what element you are!"

"With all the fire coming up, isn't it obvious that I'm a fire element? I don't see why I should keep doing this!"

"Shut up! Don't talk back to your instructor!"

For all the human citizens of Nanimori, they knew Tsuna as a weakling who would shy away from any type of confrontation. It wasn't very hard to believe it since the boy was always so thin and pale; not at all threatening looking in appearance really. For any who would happen to pass by and see someone who looked almost exactly like Tsuna arguing with an intimidating person _now_ without a stammer, they would be shocked and wondering if he had somehow gained an identical twin. It wouldn't exactly be too far off, as Tsuna in his fire yōkai state only different in his eye and hair color.

Those same people might also be curious as to why Tsuna was stuck out on an isolated mountain where there were no hints of modern civilization, as well as swinging around a sword which would briefly burst into flame before the blade melted away leaving behind nothing but the hilt it used to be attached to.

It would likely be at that point people would be questioning their sanity, their life, and everything they believe in and most likely pass out and end up in an asylum muttering things about 'Muyō Tsuna' and his 'muyō self disappearing.'

As for the question on _why_ he was up in the mountains looking very beat up, it was because this is where he was staying for the summer while his house back in Nanimori was being repaired.

Tsuna had no clue he was leaving to this place, otherwise he might have tried to escape. Though at his age with his abilities this was impossible, but the other yōkai might try to help him and Nana couldn't allow it, as much as she wanted to. After coming to terms with the events on the mountain, as well as Tsuna's heritage, Nana had decided that her baby boy was starting to grow up. In the yōkai world, he had only four years left until he became an adult, and probably the same amount of time before the Mafia world swept Tsuna up in its bloody darkness.

With a heavy heart, the yōkai mother had made preparations to send Tsuna off to Tōno, the yōkai village where many strong yōkai trained. Nana had also trained there many years ago, and was aware of how difficult it could be up there. It had helped that her parents had constantly brought her there through various means, though she constantly wished that her father didn't trick her to do so.

When the child had returned from playing at Takeshi's house, Nana's resolve almost broke cleanly in half at the brilliant smile gracing Tsuna's face. It wasn't often that he smiled like that anymore, and Nana knew that her son had finally found a human friend. When he started talking about all the things they had done over at Takeshi's, Nana had to struggle internally not to pick up her son and squeeze him tightly like a teddy bear.

If it wasn't for her subordinates there, Nana wasn't quite sure what would have happened to Tsuna.

When his back was turned, Nana had forced him into unconsciousness and sent him off to Tōno immediately before she could change her mind and keep him here. Tsuna was surprised, to say the least, when he woke up in a large black pot of water with various leering yōkai all around him. He had shrieked clean through to the edge of the village, and all the yōkai with enhanced hearing winced in pain and hoped he would never do that again.

Thankfully, Tsuna wasn't alone in all this crazy mayhem that was known as his life. When Tsuna fell unconscious, Rikuo somehow managed to _feel_ that he was. It was a very strange thing, and some of the yōkai in the household called it 'Tsuna antennas.' Everyone agreed wholeheartedly that it was likely because Rikuo knew Tsuna well enough to know when exactly he got himself into trouble. Rikuo could still hear their conversation through the fading pain in his skull.

* * *

><p>"<em>Grandpa! Do you know where Tsuna is?"<em>

"_Hm? Tsuna? What do you want to know that for?"_

"_I have a feeling that he got in trouble again! Is he back home in Nanimori?"_

"_Maybe... Do you want to help him?"_

"_Of course! We made a promise together with Zen, and I will make sure we see it through!"_

"_Then you should become stronger. Strong enough to protect everyone you want to protect, and become a proper Third, ne?"_

"_Well, yeah, but—"_

* * *

><p>Rikuo was still amazed even after all these years; the man was fast despite his appearance. He didn't even know when the kiseru hit him. The next thing he knew, he was sitting in cold water with all different kind of yōkai he had never seen before. Though Rikuo felt slightly intimidated at the sight, he felt amazed to see all different kinds of yōkai he had never seen at the main house, even with all the yōkai he saw during meetings.<p>

When the young heir started feeling the water growing hot and his 'Tsuna antennae' tingling, he instinctively knew that Tsuna was in the pot with him, and with the heating water a result of him being in his fire yōkai state. Looking over, he could see he was unconscious, but still managed to heat up the water slowly. Rikuo didn't want to find out how hot the water could be if he woke up.

He was correct in his choice of getting out of the water immediately, because as soon as his bare feet touched the cold wooden floorboards, Tsuna's eyes opened to reveal orange coloured orbs. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes with his hands as he stretched and yawned blearily. As he looked around, everyone kept silent as they tried to figure out what kind of reaction he would have. Several of the yōkai were making bets that he would scream when he woke up. Others bet that he would roar in anger and start shooting off flames.

The bet ended in a tie.

After several water yōkai to douse the fires and placing several water element yōkai beside Tsuna, Akagappa told them about where they were before Namahage whisked them away to do chores. They had no clue about what they were here for, but they were happy to have each other's company. It kept them in good spirits, though Rikuo was quickly tiring of having to do laundry and cleaning since the yōkai in the main house always did it for him. Tsuna didn't mind too much, as growing up with only his mother had taught him how to do things in order to survive.

Fortunately for Rikuo, they were quickly taken off laundry and cleaning duty after nearly burning down the meeting hall, damming up the river, causing patches to appear in all the clothes and various other mishaps courtesy of Tsuna. The boy was confused on how he managed to do it, as he attributed the clumsiness to his human part.

Rikuo didn't really care, as long as he didn't have to do any more meaningless chores. There was no point to them, and the other yōkai had kept pushing even more chores on the young boys. Some of them were impossible with their current abilities, but it didn't stop them. But seeing as how Tsuna managed to mess up most of them anyways, many yōkai withheld their requests and it gave them some space.

It was during one of these calm days that Rikuo decided to explore the village. The day was still young, and many of the yōkai around were too busy cleaning up Tsuna's messes to really care about what they were doing. As long as they didn't make more trouble, they really couldn't care less if they decided to run away from the village.

With Nenekirimaru at Rikuo's hip and Tsuna's own wakizashi at the other's, they marched off into the hazy mist that surrounded Tōno village. They weren't very aware of much of the village, so they had no idea the dangers that existed within the wilderness.

Yet with Rikuo's keen senses and Tsuna's 'feelings,' they managed to make it around all right. After a while, they found a bridge that spanned over a large schism. It was wide and appeared to be sturdy enough to take their light weight, so they started to cross over to the other side. However, as soon as Rikuo took his first steps on the bridge, it disappeared and he started tumbling forward. Panicking, Tsuna lurched forward and grabbed Rikuo's hand, but was pulled forwards with the sudden weight.

With a loud scream, they prepared themselves for a grisly death when… nothing happened.

Wait, had they just thought that properly?

Cracking open an eye carefully, both of them were still prepared to see bloody and body parts everywhere after falling from a cliff. However, they found that rather the unforgiving ground far below them, they saw a massive amount of string underneath them in a makeshift net. Looking up, they realized that there was a person standing up in a tree nearby, looking rather human, though experience has told the boys that he was not a real human.

"What a pair of idiots. Did you really think you can leave Tōno so easily?" He questioned, his tone gruff and unfriendly to the boys. "Neither of you two have the ability to leave, not like the way you are now. Think of this place as a training ground; unless you can gain the ability to cut fear, you won't be able to leave!"

"Who're you?" Tsuna asked. "Someone from the village?"

The yōkai leapt down from the tree gracefully, stirring up only a small amount of wind as he landed. "Not very observant, are you? I am Itaku the Kamaitachi. I have been watching the pair of you since you first set foot in this village."

With that confrontation, Tsuna and Rikuo became enchanted by Itaku, much to the yōkai's chagrin. The other yōkai in the village had laughed at him being a yōkai mother hen, with Rikuo and Tsuna being the baby chicks. They watched him go about doing his chores, using his sickles to chop down the trees, and joined him whenever he went to take a bath.

Itaku didn't mind too much, as long as they didn't get in his way. However, he never allowed them to follow him to the training area. No matter how much they asked, none of the other yōkai would tell Rikuo or Tsuna where the training place was. They didn't know why, but it disappointed them whenever 'big brother' disappeared. They weren't very good at tracking him down, so they decided to just explore the village some more until he came back.

After a week of this happening, Rikuo had quickly decided he wanted to know where it was that Itaku went everyday for long periods of time. Tsuna had added his opinion into the subject as well, but pointed out they had no way of following him. The older yōkai was quick to detect their presence, and they didn't even know how to use their powers yet. There was no way of finding out where the secret training hall was.

At least, that was until Rikuo came up with another plan.

* * *

><p>Tsuna wasn't quite sure what laundry had to do with the plan, but he obediently stayed at the side like he was told to. Rikuo was the only one taking the clothes and washing them in the river, before dashing up the cliff to dry them in the sun way up high. After the clothes had all been washed and were drying, Namahage had come by to inspect his work. After giving reluctant approval, they had told Tsuna and Rikuo the way to the training grounds. They had muttered something about the boys more likely to being killed rather than finding the place, but had left them to do whatever they wished.<p>

Excited at finally being able to find out where Itaku went every day, they had rushed off without delay to find him. Both boys were streaks of white, black and orange as they ran deep into the forest, using their senses to keep them on track of where they were headed. Eventually, they heard signs of others ahead when the sound of metal clashing with metal came up ahead.

They were so preoccupied with heading towards the sound; they didn't catch the growing shadow of a large tree looming over them.

A sudden rush of wind blew past them, and they braced themselves against the gust. When it disappeared, they heard a strange creaking noise above them, and looked up. The tree had fallen quite far, but a large net of rope kept it from squashing the two, though it had fallen dangerously close enough to brush the tips of Tsuna's bristling hair.

At that moment, enough of Tsuna's human self came through to make him pass out with a loud and _manly_ (read: girly) shriek.

When he came to, he had found that Rikuo and Itaku were looming over him, muttering about how he could sleep with such an idiotic expression on his face. There were other yōkai around as well, and were all snickering at hearing a boy still shrieking like a little human girl. It had hurt Tsuna's ego, and took a bit of coaxing from Rikuo to keep him from lashing out at the older yōkai.

When things were all calm once more and the others had left to resume their training, a familiar angry aura from behind Rikuo had made them freeze up with terror at knowing they had annoyed Itaku. The weasel yōkai looked decidedly angry at having two young powerless children following him in a dangerous place when he had explicitly told them not to.

"_But we wanted to know where Big Bro always goes!"_

"_Is there where you practice those cool moves? They're so awesome!"_

Needless to say, he got several more taunts at such 'close bonding time with the brats.' He had flushed lightly when the boys had praised him, but they needed to know that the village wasn't actually such a safe place they seemed to think it was. And he didn't need them getting hurt and having their Nana or Rikuo's aides finding out; he heard very well about their over protectiveness. Especially a powerful yōkai mother like Nana.

Bribery and threats didn't seem to send the two back to the village, as they were now firmly intent on learning the skills that Itaku seemed to know. He wasn't entirely sure it was a good idea, but they were dead set on it, and the other yōkai put in their two-cent by saying they should at least learn the basic yōkai skills before they became an adult.

After much resignation and readiness that they would most likely have to rebuild a new training ground, Itaku decided to test the boys on their basic physical attacks. Everyone knew just how weak humans could be, especially untrained children, so Itaku brought out some weapons for the two to use. They only had to demonstrate some basic swordsmanship, and Itaku would know where to go from there. Rikuo had done just fine, though Itaku noted that maybe a little more skill with the sword could be applied for him.

On the other hand, Tsuna… wasn't turning out so great.

"Ouch, would you—Agh! Give me that, stop flinging it around!" Itaku snapped, snatching away another melted sword, and tossing the hilt into a growing pile. "How hard is it to just swing a sword around without using fire?!"

"How should I know?" Tsuna growled in reply, "I've never come out for attacking. It's that stupid drunkard part of me that usually handles all the swordplay. I'm just there for intimidation."

At that, Itaku raised a brow. "Oh? So you know the activation for **Fear**? I'd like to see that."

"Fear? How am I supposed to know? It'd be easier to ask my human side. Easily scared by his own shadow," Tsuna tsked, shaking his head back and forth.

Itaku slapped him on the head, scolding, "Not _that_ type of fear, you idiot! Do you know anything about yōkai at all?"

Tsuna shook his head, brushing off several sparks from his hair. "Ouch, you're so mean, Big Bro. Of course I know stuff about yōkai, I'm part yōkai too. They're loud, weird, like to cross dress, and are all afraid of Mama!" He proclaimed proudly, looking perfectly serious. Though Rikuo had to argue with some of those points, he found himself nodding along with him.

The Tōno yōkai were staring with an indescribable expression, having had completely forgotten the gullibility of young human (mostly, in this case) children. Many of them had their hands meet their faces as they gave a deep sigh. "Is they really going to be leaders of a Hyakki Yakō in the future…?" some of them muttered. A kappa came up and patted Itaku's shoulder sympathetically, "Good luck, it'll be hard training them."

"W-What's with that! You'll be helping me too!"

* * *

><p>AN : Hello. Erm, it's been almost a month since I've last posted, I think. School has been rather busy, so I haven't had as much time as I'd like to work on this. Maybe one more chapter left to this before I move on. I am also extremely grateful for you feedback on Reborn; I really thought I didn't write him out properly...

I'm so tired these days, I completely forget to answer to reviews... I'm very sorry it took so long to reply to any of you who commented

JinzoMask656 - I can honestly say I haven't actually thought that far yet LOL um, I'm a type of person who doesn't plan and just goes with it. At the moment in my mind, I'm not going to have him inherit it too early. I'm aiming for this story to be more deeper in relationships I guess... But who knows, maybe tomorrow I'll wake up and decide that Tsuna inherits the Vongola at ten (not likely, but my mind has been doing strange things lately).

tsukuyomi . sakurachi (sorry for the spaces, name won't show up otherwise) - Referring back to your comment in chapter 15, which person were you talking about? If you're talking about the waitress at the bar, let's just say she's not 'normal' by human standards. One other character is also something different from what you might expect, but I won't be saying more than that.


	18. Chapter 17

Though Reborn wasn't really sure, he felt as though that somewhere out there, an unknown being was out to get him.

Maybe it was because all the assassinations the infant hitman had committed through his Mafia career, or the praying Dino had made to hope that his tutor would face the same frustrations the blond had. Either way, Reborn didn't like it, and he wanted to shoot whatever was responsible for it. And he had a feeling that this whole situation was connected to that old man who sold all his weapons back in Ukiyoe.

Currently, Reborn had just gotten out of a strange misty part that covered a large part of a land far to the north of Japan. He had immediately learned, via his summer spies, that the young potential heir to the title Vongola Decimo had been sent there by his mother to stay while reparations were taking place in Nanimori.

Nana herself had stayed in Nanimori, so Reborn had trusted the CEDEF members acting as construction workers to take care of her while he watched the boy. He didn't entirely trust her judgement of sending Tsuna to a far place from home, but he knew a mother that loved her son like Nana wouldn't send him somewhere dangerous.

He was starting to re-think that.

"I don't get it. What's going on here?" Reborn muttered angrily, tempted to pull out his gun and shoot the mist, even if it did waste bullets. His partner, currently in the form of a head light, quivered a little before changing back into a chameleon. It kept on staring into a certain spot in the mist, but the Sun Arcobaleno was too distracted by searching for a way to enter the mountain to notice.

Though Reborn didn't like to, he would likely have to call in a favour to bring in a helicopter and see if he could view the mountain from above. The area was much too wide for Leon to fly him over, and he didn't want to risk landing in the middle of nowhere. He held out his hand, and Leon jumped onto it, transforming into a green cellphone.

He waited as the phone rang for a moment before there was a click. "_Reborn?_" a voice asked, sounding very tired and out of breath. There was an obvious sound of rapid gunfire in the background, though Reborn knew that it wouldn't be from a fight with an enemy.

"Ciaossu, Colonello." he replied coolly, knowing full well the repercussion for talking on the phone.

"_So it is you, kora!_" Colonello panted, and there were some grunts before he spoke. "_You don't usually call, you need something, kora?_"

"I need a favour from you. You're in Japan at the moment, right?" Reborn asked, knowing full well that the Rain Arcobaleno was. He always kept tabs on many important figures of the Mafia world.

The blond infant managed to grunt out, "_Yeah, that Lal has me on a strict training session here._" before there was a harsh squeal of pain. There was the soft sound of something hitting the ground, and Reborn knew what would happen before it was even said.

Then the harsh voice of Lal became audible. "_Oi! Colonello! Did I tell you that you could call?_ _Get back to your laps! Extra projectile combat training later!_" There were louder and more numerous sounds of gunfire signalling Lal's increased weaponry.

"_Oi, Lal! Owch, no, ow, stop, stop! I'm going! Ow, w-whoa, wait! Don't-! Argh!_" came the last of Colonello's pleas as his voice faded off along with the gunfire and explosions. There was a faint crackling as Lal picked up the fallen phone, though her attention was still largely on her fleeing student.

"_Who is this?_" Lal barked, still firing off her guns, "_Colonello is in the middle of training." _

Reborn immediately cut to the chase. "How soon can you call in a helicopter? A small one is fine."

There was a momentary silence on the other end. "_Does it have anything to do with your mission right now?_"

"Of course," Reborn replied.

"_Fine._" Lal said, "_I'll send my idiot student with it immediately._"

* * *

><p>"Reborn, kora! What the hell are we looking for?" Colonello yelled above the noise of the helicopter blades.<p>

They were both standing high above the mountain of mist, and they were staring out the open door of the helicopter into a large expanse of smoky mist. It was much larger than Reborn had first suspected, and he didn't even recognise the mountain at all.

"A town or city." Reborn replied, keeping a hand on his fedora to prevent it from flying off into the mist. Leon had transformed into a pair of aviator goggles in order to protect Reborn's eyes and also keep itself from flying off.

Colonello scowled, but continued to scour the mist for some sort of civilization. But through all their searching, there was no sign of trees or dirt on the mountain. It was almost as though the mountain didn't really exist.

"This is pointless!" Colonello hollered at the hitman, "There's no way anyone would be here, especially not an eight year old boy, kora!"

Though Reborn hated to agree with his rival, he couldn't find a way to argue with him. There was no way into the mist, and every attempt to venture into it would result in ending up in the exact same place he had entered at the same time as well. There was a supernatural aspect to this, and he had no choice but to admit that he would have to investigate further before attempting to find the brunet once more.

As if sensing what its partner was thinking, Leon changed back into an animal, looking up at Falco standing dutifully on its partner's head. The hawk gave a nod before it grabbed Leon gently in its talons and flew out of the helicopter.

"Falco! Where are you going, kora?!" Colonello immediately called after the bird, but it merely ignored him and continued flying onwards. But Reborn noticed that it wasn't flying as quickly as it had before, and almost seemed like it was waiting for them. Once the helicopter had turned around, the pair of animals was instantly flying into the mist, with Leon changing into a large glowing neon sign like a beacon for the two confused Arcobaleno.

With Falco's obvious speed despite all attempts of the helicopter pilot trying to get closer to the bird, Colonello couldn't help but be proud of his partner. "Reborn, my partner is good for travel, kora!" He boasted in a prideful tone.

To the blond's annoyance, Reborn ignored as he had suddenly decided to take a nap. "Oi, kora! Wake up! Our partners' are getting away, kora!" He growled, wanting to pull out a gun and fire at the sleeping Sun Arcobaleno, if not for the fact he could possibly destroy the helicopter and then Lal would have another reason to punish him for destroying yet another piece of equipment.

Colonello noticed from the corner of his eye the sudden dark streak of his partner falling straight into the mist. If it wasn't for the intensity of Leon's neon glow, Falco would have been swallowed up and there would be no chance of finding them without equipment. "Pilot, kora! Follow them immediately!" he called.

The pilot complied, diving into the mist without hesitation. He was, after all, a subordinate of Lal, handpicked herself for the mission. She didn't need anyone who wouldn't report of her student's 'laziness,' or subordinates who didn't prove the results of their training as she expected it to be. It's an innate fear born within all subordinates of the CEDEF who follow or have followed under Lal's orders.

All the occupants of the helicopter kept a sharp gaze on the bright green glow cutting through the mist, their only guide into the mountain or else they would lose them. As the glow was becoming fainter as they went further into the mist, they each put forth their full concentration on not losing Leon as he threatened to blink out of existence and leave them stranded in the mist, and none of them wanted to find a way out when they couldn't see anything outside of the helicopter.

It was obvious to both of the rivals that they were unsettled, but were trying not to show it. "O-Oi, Reborn… Where… do you think they're going, kora?" He said, his voice going quiet in an attempt to hide his nervousness. The hitman didn't say a word, but he pulled down his fedora to shade his eyes in reply. They had faced many situations before where it didn't look like they were going to make it, as well as times when it didn't look like they were going to live to see the next day. "Just where are they going?" Reborn muttered.

With a blink, Leon's glow disappeared leaving neither renowned hitman nor COMBUSIN member any idea of where to go now. That was, until they suddenly saw a tree that loomed right in their faces that didn't leave the pilot any time to divert their path from their unfavourable meeting with a much too friendly tree trunk that they swore had too branches to the side like it wanted to hug them.

"Oi, kora! Get out of here!" Colonello roared as he jumped out of the helicopter, knowing it was too late to move or get the pilot out of the cockpit. He and Reborn were out in an instant, landing safely on the ground below. The instant that their feet touched the rocks below, they almost felt it before they heard it; the unmistakable crunch of metal and glass slamming against the tree, as well as the snapping of branches as it curled as if to absorb the impact. They had long been involved with machinery to know there would be no salvaging anything in the helicopter.

They were both silent for a moment, watching the ruined piece of metal with blank expressions. Colonello turned away with a scowl. "Lal won't like this. He was a good comrade."

"I'm sure Iemitsu will hold a proper reception for him when we get back." Reborn replied, before turning away with a frown. "First, we should concentrate on finding out where we are."

The sound of flapping wings caught their attention, and they turned to see Falco and Leon coming towards them, seeming unperturbed that they had indirectly caused a man to lose his life and them a way to go back home. They settled back onto their familiar places on their masters without a sound, looking as if they had just gone for a little stroll around.

"Think you can get Leon to change into a compass?" Colonello asked, looking around. The place where they had landed in appeared to be a riverbank, as there was a babbling stream next to the ruined machine and trees lined the rocky banks. They were large and old with large spreading branches with vines weaving in between them like a giant green cobweb. The area was still quite misty, though it wasn't so bad they wouldn't be able to find their way around.

But the most eerie thing to the two Mafioso was the fact that it was just so _quiet_. On an isolated mountain void of any humans, there should be much animal life around. With a fresh source of water nearby, there would normally be animals here drinking, though they supposed they were frightened off by the helicopter.

Reborn help out his hand, and Leon promptly shifted as it jumped onto his hand. Reborn started at Leon for a few moments before letting it back onto his fedora, a shake of his head all that Colonello needed to know.

"Well, what should we do now, kora?" Colonello scowled, looking rather relaxed despite their rather bleak situation. "No way back, I doubt anyone knows we're here, no direction and no food or supplies."

When Reborn didn't reply, the Rain Arcobaleno started to get a sinking feeling in his gut. "Are you ignoring me, kora!" he yelled, jumping in front of his rival to see him napping _again_ with a bubble on his nose, the little chameleon doing the same thing on Reborn's fedora.

"PLAN FIRST, THEN NAP!" Colonello yelled, then looked to the sides. "This place is too creepy to take a nap anyways. No way the Vongola wouldn't know about a place like this. There's something up with this mountain, and I don't like it."

* * *

><p>"Alright, whose turn is it this week?" an ape yōkai called out. "We're running low on supplies again."<p>

Training in the woods had been completed for today, and many of the yōkai had come to eat at Atagoya, Tōno's only sweet shop. However, they were starting to grow low on food and needed to restock in order to be able to eat for the next week. It was a large responsibility, as it meant that the yōkai had to make sure to bring back enough food for everyone in the village, as well as not eating everything else by himself.

"I want to go!" Tsuna declared, a determined look on his face as he raised his hand up high into the air, bringing attention to him by smacking his other hand in front of him on the table.

Many of the other yōkai looked at him with surprised and dubious expressions. "You? Don't you usually just goof off and explore and make us collect the food anyways?" someone asked. There were various noises of agreement from the others.

"That was just one time!" Rikuo protested next to his cousin, pouting. "We didn't know we weren't supposed to go up the river."

Awashima came up behind them and punched them both on the back of their heads. "Shouldn't you assume that when we block up the damn river with trees and rocks? I still can't figure out how the hell you managed to wreck the whole thing." He scowled, looking rather annoyed. The yōkai had spent long days with the others in the village re-daming the river up again. They would have just left it, but the river tended to overflow during the spring and rainy seasons, and the excess water was directed straight to the village.

Itaku folded his arms in front of him, already finished and put away his dishes. "Is there any particular reason why you want to go?" he asked. He knew the boys better than anyone else in the village, and was well-versed on their fascination with the yōkai here. They would rather pester some poor yōkai in the village with endless questions than go out foraging for food they don't know about.

"No, not really," Tsuna replied, crossing his arms behind his head. "I just have this… feeling that I should go out there."

The surrounding yōkai gave each other a glance. During the boy's stay, Tsuna had showed a strange ability. They were sure that neither of them had been given training in combat, but Tsuna seemed to be better at predicting their moves than Rikuo was. When they asked him why, he just shrugged and replied, 'I felt like I had to move there.'

There were also times when they were walking around the village when they were exploring that the ability showed itself. Sometimes a large branch would be falling towards them when no one was watching, but Tsuna seemed to detect it and move them out of the way before it could land on them. It was strange, but Nana had mentioned to them briefly about the abilities of Iemitsu's line.

"Let them go, it'll be fine."

"A-Akagappa-sama!" came several surprised murmurs from the yōkai who hadn't noticed their leader had been eating with them all along.

The large yōkai merely sat at the table with his large anmitsu, eating it peacefully. The two boys ignored their surprise, as they were used to seeing yōkai appear when they weren't there before, and ran up the Akagappa.

"Really? We can go?!" Tsuna asked. It wasn't very subtle in his body posture and face, but his large tinted eyes were sparkling at the thought of being able to go to the forest on their own.

Rikuo was right at his side, though he wasn't as obvious as his cousin with his expression. His body posture and expression was carefully controlled, but many of the yōkai present had lived long enough to know that Rikuo was just as excited as Tsuna was.

"You two haven't died yet, so I suppose it's alright. Think of this as a test of your strength as yōkai." Akagappa said, "If you die, that means you fail. But if you succeed, Itaku will start training you to use your **Fear**."

Both of the boy's resolve to make it through the forest with new supplies shot up high at the thought of learning actual yōkai techniques, and turned to give Itaku a rather creepy smile. The kamaitachi really wanted them to learn how to handle their **Fear** as fast as possible, but it wasn't likely with the physical ability Tsuna and Rikuo had. Also, with the hybrid children's mixed natures, it would be hard to determine how their **Fear** would turn out.

Itaku huffed, "Just make sure you prove you're ready for it."

"Yeah! We got the OK!" Tsuna cheered, "Let's get going now, then!"

* * *

><p>"Ha ha ha, I bet you can't catch me!" Tsuna laughed excitedly, using his enhanced strength to dash through the forest.<p>

Rikuo was very close behind him, as it wasn't very hard to lose a large flaming kid in a lush green forest. "Well, you're not being very hard." He grinned in reply, dashing forward with more speed than Tsuna had.

Tsuna pouted, feeling his confidence deflating. "Hey, that's no fair! You're stronger than I am!" he protested.

The young quarter blood yōkai stuck his tongue out at his cousin, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Well, I play sports a lot as a human. Should make sense I'm stronger as a yōkai." He returned.

"Well… I'll just have to be better at using **Fear** than you!" Tsuna declared, sticking out his bottom lip and trying to look strong. He suddenly blinked and looked off to the side, tilting his head curiously. Rikuo followed his line of sight, but only saw the bushes that were everywhere. He followed the other's example and tilted his head a little to the side. "What're you looking at?"

For a few moments, Tsuna was silent. His brows furrowed in concentration, and he hummed a little as he thought. Finally, he answered, "I don't know. It just seems like something's over there. Something important."

"Hm… Do you want to check it out, then?" Rikuo asked, itching to take the step forward. He was used to hearing of Tsuna's 'feelings,' and more often than not, they let to something interesting. And in a place mostly isolated of other living creatures of a yōkai inhabited area, it made it all the more interesting to see what was on the other side of the bushes.

It didn't take long for Tsuna to decide, as he gave Rikuo a mischievous grin before dashing off through the bushes yelling out behind him, "Race ya!"

The pair ran straight into the bushes, and dashed through the clinging branches before making to out to the other side. They realized that they had run over to the riverbank, which was quite a ways off from the village.

Or at least, they thought so. They actually weren't too sure, as the washing area wasn't anywhere close to where they were, and they didn't know the area well enough to know there was more than one river flowing through Tōno.

"Rikuo… are we still close to the village?" Tsuna asked uncertainly, a bit of fear creeping into his voice. "Maybe we should've let someone else go…"

"And let them have all the fun? No way! How often is it we're allowed into the forest for something other than training?" Rikuo declared bravely, the grin still in place. "Besides, you said there was something important here, right? Let's go look for it!"

Feeling his confidence coming back, Tsuna gave a wide smile and nodded. "Yeah, let's go! Um, I think it was coming from over there." He said, pointing over to an area obscured slightly by trees. "Is that smoke?"

Rikuo looked up and turned to look at Tsuna with a teasing frown. "Were you napping in the woods while training again?"

"No way!" Tsuna denied, "I'm not giving up any chance of being a good yōkai like Aniki!"

"Well, if it's not you, then it must be the important thing you said! Oh, maybe it's a cool new yōkai thing!" Rikuo chattered, "We _have_ to go look now!"

While quarter yōkai boy was talking, Tsuna had already dashed off ahead, his train of thought the same as Rikuo's. "Way ahead of you, cousin! I'm gonna win!" He laughed gleefully.

"Wha-? Hey, that's no fair!" Rikuo laughed, taking off after him. "You didn't say start!"

The giggling abruptly stopped when they came around the trees and were faced with a large smoldering piece of metal neither had ever seen at Tōno before. Neither had seen anything like it before, but somehow, it reminded them of a plane. However, a large part of it was crushed due to the impact of the tree in front of it, and was still smoking largely inside of it.

"Whoa… What is that?" Tsuna asked, eyeing it warily. If he knew one thing when it came to fire, it was that there was always the chance that it could explode. Everyone at the village had learned that when trying to control Tsuna's ability.

Rikuo stepped forward less suspiciously, coming to a stop next to it and looking up at the tree it had crashed into. "Aw, the tree's got a few broken branches. Kusa isn't going to like that very much…" He muttered, totally ignoring the broken metal mess. "I think she said she had managed to grow these trees here recently."

Shifting a little uncomfortable in his spot, Tsuna covered his bottom with his hands. "I-It's not my fault, got it? The last time was… an accident. I'm still a little sore from the last time." He muttered.

His words were ignored by Rikuo in favor of checking the smoking mess sitting at the base of the tree. There was still a large amount of thick black smoking rising from it, as well as the strong smell of oil and burnt flesh. The boys weren't aware of the smell, and just thought that's what the thing smelled like. "Check it out, it's on fire! And there's all this black stuff coming out of it too."

"What do you think it is?" Tsuna asked, shuffling forward next to his cousin. "I don't remember seeing this before… Think someone in the village knows?"

"I think we could check out inside and find out. There's bound to be something in there that'll tell us! And doesn't it look cool?" Rikuo said, his cocky grin coming onto his face as he faced Tsuna with a glint in his eye. "I bet everyone back in the village would say we can handle **Fear** if we can do this!"

Before Tsuna could agree, or disagree, Rikuo stepped forward toward the smoking mess.

And promptly jumped clear as the wreckage exploded, with shrapnel shooting by them and slicing off several branches around them thicker than their arms. The place where the ruined machine laid was now home to more flames and thick smoke, with pieces from it now stuck in much of the landscape around them, evident from the broken rocks and trees.

Behind one of the largest trees was the two quivering boys. At the last second, Rikuo had turned around and grabbed Tsuna, fleeing back into the woods when he had heard a strange whistling noise. When the pair had reached the tree-line, the wreck had exploded at the exact same time. Tsuna, being dragged along at his collar, had seen the pieces of deadly metal aiming straight for them. He could feel heat burning through his veins, and he felt like he had to move them. Right now. Following what his senses were telling him, the fiery headed boy grabbed onto the closest branch to him, forcing them both to a stop. Before Rikuo could protest and demand why he stopped them when they were close to getting hurt, Tsuna had just grabbed the other's sleeve and shoved him behind a tree, hiding beside him as they hunkered down to make themselves as small as possible.

When the sounds of the flying death had disappeared and there was only the heavy smell smoke and the sound of crackling fire, Rikuo and Tsuna peeked from around the trunk. "Is it over…?" Tsuna whispered, his wide eyes searching the riverbank. Everything was still except for the dancing flames and the stream slipping on by next to it.

"I don't know." Rikuo replied calmly, his back braced firmly against the tree and Nenekirimaru clenched tightly in his hand. "But don't move from here. There's might be someone out there."

"I'll commend you for that; I doubt there's a lot of kids your age that can dodge something like that." A voice stated from behind them.

They both whirled around, shocked, to find the source of the voice. Standing before them, was a pair of babies. One was wearing a miniature suit and fedora with an orange band around it on his pitch black hair with a green chameleon on it. His large black eyes were staring at them unblinkingly, not looking like any other the boys had seen before. The other baby was a stark contrast of his companion, being blond haired and blue eyed wearing cameo-patterned clothing and a pin on his headband with '01' printed on it. He also had a large gun longer than himself strapped to his back. The jacket was open to reveal a white shirt on the inside. He also had an animal companion with him, his being a bird of prey sitting on his hair. What immediately took the yōkai children's attention was the faint air around them that made them different from other humans they knew, and the pacifiers that they wore on their chests. The fedora wearing baby's was as yellow as the glowing sun and the blonds' was as blue as the stream they stood by.

"That…!" Tsuna started before Rikuo punched him in the ribs, effectively shutting the boy up. "Ugh, thanks." He grunted. "Nearly forgot."

"Forgot what?" The fedora wearing baby said, still staring at them.

For some reason, Rikuo just couldn't look the baby straight in the eyes. It wasn't the questioning stare of an inquisitive baby that asked embarrassing questions; it was the look of one who had seen much more than a baby would. "Uh, are you guys from the village? We've never seen you here before."

The babies were silent for a moment before the blond baby said, "No, we're travellers, kora."

"Travellers? We don't often see travellers around here." Tsuna said, gaining his breath back and straightening up to join in the conversation. "Where're you going to?"

"A village. Should be nearby here." The unblinking baby said. "Are you two from there?"

Tsuna smirked at them, crossing his arms in front of him. "What does it matter to you? You should know how to get there. Everyone does."

Rikuo nodded, though he didn't have the same cocky smirk on his face. It was instead calculating, watching them carefully. "He's right. Is there any reason as to why you're here?"

"We're supposed to be looking for someone. Should be a kid around your age. You seen someone like that?" The fedora wearing baby said, never looking away from them for a moment.

Rikuo and Tsuna shared a glance with each other, holding a brief conversation with their eyes alone. Their expressions turned serious, and there was a slight frown on their faces. It was actually more adorable than menacing when compared to the opponents the babies had faced in their long careers. "There are no other kids in the village except for us. I don't know who you're looking for, but it probably isn't this village."

"We'll decide that. Take us to the village, kora." The blond said, his young voice leaving no room for argument.

The two cousins looked at each other again, this time with their lips forming a long line. Tsuna gave a subtle shake of his head, though the babies both caught it. They said nothing, as they were curious what they would do when they were aware they weren't normal babies. But, to be fair, they also knew that the two boys before them weren't normal. They had never met boys with looks anywhere similar to theirs; one boy having long hair extending from the back of his head that was colored black and white with narrow red eyes, and the other with hair a strong appearance of fire and eyes that, though calm, were a blazing orange that could whirl with intensifying emotion. A very strange pair indeed.

Rikuo seemed to give a small grin, and turned back to the boys. Tsuna followed suit, wearing the same grin on their faces. "Fine, we'll take you to someone who can help you. Follow us." He said, then disappeared off.

"If you can, that is." Tsuna followed, disappearing and reappearing on a distant branch several metres away from the babies next to Rikuo.

The babies said nothing, though they both gave a smirk. Two little brats like them challenging them to a race? They obviously didn't know who they were dealing with. The little chameleon crawled onto the back of the suit wearing baby and changed into a jetpack. The bird on the blond baby's head grasped the back of his jacket and flew up at a fast pace. When the boys saw the babies quickly catching up to them, they gave a smirk at the little exercise they had, and dashed off at the fastest pace they could muster into the forest.

The babies noticed the increase of speed, and their partners picked up the slack to catch up. It was interesting; there was only a handful of Mafioso who could go at the pace they could move at, and that was only through tough training like the blond did. For two small boys who didn't look like much to attain speed like this was interesting. And their looks obviously made it clear they weren't normal. They weren't entirely sure if it only applied to these two, but they would find out when they found the others.

If they could even find them.

"Oi, Reborn, kora!" The blond hissed as they flew along. "What do you think they are? They're obviously going to a wrong direction. Why aren't you doing anything, kora?"

Reborn didn't reply for a while. "I don't know." He answered honestly. "But seeing as they know their way around this place, we have to follow them. We have no other way of finding Iemitsu's brat."

"And that kid… The fire headed one. He seemed to know something about us, kora." Colonello said, looking down to his Rain pacifier. "There's something more to them than they're letting on."

"I'm not leaving until I know what it is. The only people who should know about it are the high ranking members of the Mafia, and those two obviously don't fit into it. I doubt they're The Man in the Iron Hat's underlings, so there must be something else connected to our curse." Reborn said. "But for now, we just have to find out where we are."

All of a sudden, with no warning whatsoever, both animals stopped moving forward.

"Oi, kora, what're you doing, Falco?! We're going to lose them, kora!" Colonello protested, squirming around in his partner's hold. Leon had stopped as well, changing into a parachute to calmly glide the infant to the ground.

* * *

><p>Itaku was standing with the boys at a much higher level, looking down at the two infants on the forest floor. When he was sure that they weren't planning on moving anytime soon, he turned back to Tsuna and Rikuo.<p>

"Aniki! How did you find us so fast? We weren't at the training grounds yet!" Tsuna asked.

Itaku scowled at him, smacking him lightly on the back of his head where the flames were coolest. "What were you thinking? They're obviously not from the village, and they aren't yōkai either. They're human." He scolded.

"Really? But they seem different from other humans. They kind of reminded me of Yukari. I thought maybe they were friends of hers or something. Anyways, they had something that looked similar to someone we know." Rikuo defended.

"Almost every yōkai can trace their origins to here. If they were real yōkai, they would know how to get here." Itaku reminded them. "And what's this about 'something similar'?"

Tsuna groaned, "Their pacifiers. They have one similar to a friend of Rikuo's old man."

"Yeah," Rikuo agreed, "except theirs is blue and yellow, and the old man's friend's is clear."

"Pacifiers…?" Itaku muttered, peeking around the tree to look at the babies down below. With his sharp eyesight, he easily picked out the shining objects they wore on their chests. True to what they had said, there was a pacifier hanging around their necks. Though it was faint, he could feel that they were no ordinary pacifiers. Which meant they weren't ordinary babies. "Do you know what they want?"

"They said they were looking for someone. In the village, someone our age. I thought they were talking about a Zashiki-warashi." Tsuna muttered, sitting down on the branch and observing the babies down below. It looked like they were talking about something, but their voices were too low for him to catch their words. "They didn't look like we could trick them, so we thought you would know what to do with them."

Itaku was silent for a moment, thinking. It was obvious that the babies knew that there was a village here, a piece of knowledge not commonly known to humans. They didn't have a feeling of **Fear**, and the helicopter they had arrived in had erased all thoughts of them possibly being yōkai. They were also using the animals to travel through the forest instead of using their own strength, something that yōkai don't do. From what he had overhead earlier, they were possibly people sent to watch over Tsuna that Nana had warned them about.

Finaly, Itaku said, "I think they might be looking for you, Tsuna."

"Eh? Me? Why? I haven't done anything wrong!" Tsuna squawked, then ducked his head. "Well, nothing in the human world."

"Maybe someone hired them to come here and track you down because you became a yōkai in the human world!" Rikuo teased, earning a punch in the arm from Tsuna. "No way, the humans that saw me thought it was a trick! The only ones that would've seen were Mama's yōkai!"

Itaku interrupted them before they got any further. "In any case, we should probably bring them to the village. Even if they were sent here, they won't be able to leave if they can't use **Fear**, which humans can't. The village will be more than enough to take care of them if something happens, anyways. For now, though, I don't think you should be using your name, Tsuna."

Both of the boys were surprised. "Me? But why?" Tsuna asked, pointing at himself. "What about Rikuo?"

"Its… complicated. I'll explain to you later. But for now, just go back to the village. I'll take care of them for now. Tell Akagappa-sama about this, too. Don't miss anything. Understood?" Itaku said firmly, looking them firmly in the eye as he said this. "If I find out you lied to them about this, I won't teach you how to use your **Fear**."

This made both of their backs straight as they knew the severity of what they were being told. "Got it, Aniki!" They chimed at the same time. Rikuo took off in an instant, eager to be the first to tell the other yōkai about these strange babies in the woods. On the other hand, Tsuna had remained behind, watching the two below bicker with each other.

"What is it? Is there something else you haven't told me about?" Itaku asked.

"Well…" Tsuna trailed off, staring more intently at them. "I think they're the ones I was looking for… I'm not sure. I've never seen them before, but… if feels like they're important."

Itaku stared at the younger boy for a moment before pushing him in the direction of the village. "Alright, if they're alright, I'll bring them to the village. But you should head back first."

Tsuna looked up at the sickle wielding yōkai before his eyes flickered down to the babies. He gave a hesitant nod before he disappeared into the forest after Rikuo.

* * *

><p>"This is pointless, kora!" Colonello growled, "We lost them, we aren't going to find the kid!"<p>

"I doubt we would even if we wanted to." Reborn replied. "There's something up with those kids; they aren't normal."

The blond infant snorted. "I know that. I've seen Iemitsu's apprentice, kora. That kid's better than some recruits we've had. They seem strange compared to some I've seen, though."

Reborn stood in place with a hand at his hip as he looked up at the tree tops. He swiftly pulled out a gun from his suit, shooting at a spot in the forest. An extremely faint haze shifted slightly, moving to another branch as the one it had been on was shot down. This time, Colonello pulled out his gun and fired at several trees around the figure, then fired another shot at the haze.

They were both instantly on their guard when the haze didn't even try dodging this time, but actually _cut_ the shot in half. Though it hadn't been much, Colonello had put in a small amount of his Dying Will Flames. For a small henchman of a weak Famiglia, it was a formidable amount of power he had used. For someone to be able to cut apart a blow with such ease, it was obvious that they were dealing with someone with stronger than average.

"So this is what people like you use these days? Hm, nothing like ours."

Both of the infants whirled around to see a tall teenage looking boy hidden in the shadow of the trees inspecting the gun Colonello had been using moments before. Alarmed, the blond looked at his hands to realize the gun was gone. "How-?!"

"It's still no match for us. Here, take your weapon back." The stranger said, tossing the weapon back to him. Falco caught the weapon in its sharp talons and brought it back to its master. "Hm, smart pet you have there."

"Who are you?" Reborn asked, pointing his gun at the mysterious stranger. "Whose Famiglia are you from?"

The stranger stared at them silently for a minute. "Famiglia? Never heard of one." He said. "It won't do you any good to ask me, anyways. We don't align ourselves to anyone."

"'We'? Are you from the village close-by to here?" Reborn asked sharply, his grip on the gun tightening. "Where is it? Take us there, now."

The strange teen before them stared at them for a moment longer with his piercing eyes before pushing off the tree he had been leaning on and stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to be nothing more than an average teen. He was dressed much differently from others who lived in Japan, so the Arcobalenos assumed that he was probably from some native tribe around here. "Not much manners your kind has nowadays. I guess times change." He said. "If you really want to find a village, shouldn't you be a little nicer in asking?"

"No reason to if you're an enemy. If you don't answer my questions properly, I won't be as kind as this idiot next to me." Reborn said without batting an eye, ignoring Colonello's protests.

The teen walked forwards towards then, saying, "Assuming they didn't get sidetracked, they should be back right now… Let's get going then." The two Arcobaleno infants were confused before they felt being picked up by the back of their shirts before being whipped around by the wind as Itaku raced through the woods.

"Ugh, he's… fast… kora." Colonello groaned as they went by, the flashes of green, blue and brown not doing well for him at the moment at Itaku's none-too-gentile movements. "Even… Lal doesn't… ugh… do this to me…"

Reborn wasn't even paying attention, having had decided to take a nap when he was sure the strange teen was taking them to their destination.

* * *

><p>AN : Haha... it's been a long three weeks... I'd actually been working on the final chapter for this, but then I thought 'no, it wouldn't make sense if I jumped from the start of summer to the end... there's no fun in that!'

So yeah, there's this, one more, and SHOULD be the end. I don't know. Life is crazy.

tsukuyomi . sakurachi - When I first read that, I was thinking 'whaa?' cuz it was SUPPOSED to have a name there. Now that I look at it, I changed my mind and decided to add another currently unknown person into the plot here! The only thing I will say about this person is that it is 100+ years old! Haha, have fun figuring it out ;)

Hmm, moves? Why, of course I have! For his human self, fire self (I don't know which species yet, lol), and Nurarihyon self. I want them each to have a type of move set unique to their species. For example, leaving the Dying Will Flames + Mode for human Tsuna alone, fire Tsuna with fire type moves, and Nurarihyon Tsuna have Nurarihyon moves. It's a little disappointing in Nurarihyon no Mago that Rikuo's day form can't do anything other than strategize. I want to give Tsuna something that'll let him have fun messing with Reborn's mind, after all, haha.


	19. Chapter 18

"Oi, did you smack them against a tree or something? They've been out for a long time."

"No matter how I look at them, they just seem like a pair of babies. Babies like them need their sleep."

"What are you talking like you know for? You've been that ugly mug of yours for years!"

"Shut up! I started out just like them, _for your information!_"

"Can I wake them up? Or are they already up? It's hard to tell."

"They'll wake up soon enough. Just leave them alone. They're not like us, anyways."

The bubble at Reborn's nose popped, as did Leon's, causing the chatter to die off. He sat up and looked around, carefully observing the room he was in. He was sitting on a polished floor, next to Colonello and his partner. There was no one else in the room with them, but there were a large number of zabuton lying in two neat rows, one on each side of them. There were also some cups with tea still steaming in them, and candles still sitting in their holders with barely any wax running down them.

It alerted Reborn of several things, the largest being the large number of people he knew were nearby but he couldn't detect. It was irking, as he was the world's greatest hitman! He should be able to tell there where at least the location of every living body within a kilometer radius. There was something up with this village, and he wasn't leaving until he found out what it was.

"Oi, idiot rival. What are you doing still asleep?" Reborn said calmly, kicking Colonello at the back of his head. The other grunted, hissing in pain before butting heads with Reborn. "Oi, what kind of way is that to wake someone, kora?! You should be more delicate, I'm a baby!"

"You looked like you needed help waking up. Have you already forgotten where we are?" Reborn replied. "I guess I can help you out this time if you haven't."

His anger dissipating, Colonello looked around. "A room? Then did we really make it?" He murmured, surprised. He had fallen asleep at some point during the journey, but he usually wasn't so unaware that he could be taken into a room and not even realize it. "There's no way I wouldn't have woke up after moving like that."

"So you feel it too, right? There's something up with this village. I don't know if they're Mafioso. I've never heard of a Famiglia like this in Japan before." Reborn mused, looking around carefully. "All these things are old style Japanese furniture. Expertly crafted too. Whoever these people are, they have a large amount of wealth."

Going closer to the candlestick holder, Colonello examined it carefully. "These things could also serve as weapons. Must be a group well trained in assassination."

"Are you up yet? It's lunch time. If you don't hurry up, we'll eat up your share!"

Both Arcobaleno turned around to see the boys from earlier standing in the doorway, waving at them before dashing off in a flurry of giggles. Seeing as there was no other signs of life in the room, they decided that following them would be the best course of action. If they were lucky, they might be able to get some information out of them.

When they stepped outside, they were careful to note that the area outside seemed rather primitive and small to be a town. More likely to be a village left alone in the wilderness. However, there was a large amount of mist covering the village, and outside was just as empty as it was inside.

"I don't like this, kora." Colonello muttered. "It's too quiet, and everything's just like everyone just up and left without a trace."

Reborn frowned, but mentally agreed. It was hard to say if even the children could be trusted; there were too many suspicious things going on right now. Was Iemitsu's son really here? It was highly suspicious that Nana would send her son to a place like this. Reborn made a note to investigate further into this when he found the brat.

They followed the sound of giggling to see the two boys eating outside what looked like a vendor shop. They were seated at a picnic table, eating a distinctly sugary sweet with vigor. It was an astonishingly large size, being more than twice the sizes of their heads. When they noticed that the babies weren't coming closer, the boy with the long hair said, "Come on, if you don't hurry up and eat, the anmitsu will melt!"

"You shouldn't be eating that for a meal, kora. You're kids, you should be eating something healthy." Colonello advised. "Isn't there someone who can give you something to eat?"

The boys stared at them for a long moment; with a look on their faces like what the blond had said was a bizarre idea. "Why? We're always told to eat veggies and everything… We should be able to eat what we want sometimes." The fire headed child said. "You should know, everyone's like that!"

Reborn huffed, knowing that this wasn't going anywhere. Leon changed into a little green airplane, flying over to a stop next to fire headed boy before becoming a chameleon once again. He stopped eating to inspect the little reptile a little more closely. "Whoa, did that lizard just change into a plane? I've never seen one like that before! Hey, look at this!" He said, waving over in his companion's direction to get his attention. "I've never seen a little thing like that able to transform!"

"Yeah, I've actually never met one that could. What's your name?" The long haired one asked, bringing his red eyes close to Leon's orange orbs.

"His name is Leon." Reborn said. "He's my partner."

Both looked up with a surprised look, as if they had forgotten that they were still there. "A partner? Really? Well, it's obvious that he can transform and stuff… What are you then?" The long haired one asked, looking at them expectantly. The other's eyes widened and leaned forward to get a closer look at them. "Well, if they have _those_, don't you think they'd be able to do the same stuff as that guy? They look about the same, too."

The long haired one looked skeptical. "You think so? He said that they weren't all the same, though. Didn't he say he was one of a kind?"

"I dunno, do you think I pay attention when he goes and talks like the old man?" The fire headed one pouted, puffing out his cheeks which made the fire on his head grow a little bigger. He turned to the two Arcobalenos who were still standing there, watching him. "What are you guys, anyways?"

"I'm Reborn, the world's number one hitman." The Sun Arcobaleno introduced, posing with his gun.

The blond crossed his arms and stood tall in order to look imposing. "Colonello, COMBUSIN member."

The reaction they received was surprisingly neutral. There were no looks of surprise for two babies claiming to be high ranking members of an underground world or type of military, nor were there any traces of doubt in their faces. It was strange, as most other children would want to ask them more about it, or maybe just dismiss it as it was a cool idea for a child. In fact, they didn't seem particularly interested in what they did from their expressions.

"A hitman? Is that a job? It doesn't sound very cool…" The red-eyed boy said, turning back to his treat.

The other, the one with the orange and red eyes, just stared at them, as if he knew there was more to what they do than what they said. "You aren't really babies, are you." He said.

Reborn tilted his head back a little to get a better look at the boy. Did he know the truth? "What do you mean?" He replied.

Rather than answering, a frown crossed the boy's face before turning back to his treat and eating it with his companion. It didn't look like Reborn was going to get anything more from them, but it wasn't like he particularly knew how to interrogate young children not involved in the Mafia. There was also the fact that they didn't seem like normal children either, which made it even harder to determine the correct way to deal with them.

Deciding that Reborn wasn't going to get anywhere with them, Colonello decided to take the situation into his small hands. He jumped up onto the table next to the boys, inspecting the treat that they were both eating. "Oi, kid, what're you eating, kora?"

"You don't know what this is?" The flaming haired boy said, with surprise evident on his face. "This is a specialty of the village; an anmitsu!"

"An…mitsu?" Colonello repeated, stumbling slightly over the unfamiliar word. "Never had one. I doubt I'd ever be able to handle that much sugar, anyways."

The other boy stopped eating, leaning around his own anmitsu to look at the baby. "It's really good, I bet you'd like it. Everyone does, even if they don't like candy."

Colonello looked skeptical, but he still took the proffered spoon and took a small bite of what looked like rich sponge cake with thick and smooth butter cream. His eyes turned into sparkles then, and he took a larger bite. "Hey, this is good, kora!" He managed to mumble around bites.

The two boys looked delighted and looked at Reborn with expectations in their eyes. The boy with the flaming hair offered him his own spoon, but Reborn turned away. "I'm not fond of sweets." He said bluntly.

"Oh, that's right, kora." Colonello paused, looking up from eating his 'meal.' "That guy there, he doesn't like sweet stuff. He likes bitter things like coffee." He wrinkled his nose. "I don't know how he can do it, that stuff is really strong."

"That just shows you're still a baby, stupid rival." Reborn said without batting an eye, making Colonello slightly bend his spoon. "No one would eat sweets in a situation like this."

The boys looked confused, looking at both Colonello and Reborn with a curious glance. "A what? I don't get what you're saying." The long haired one said. "Do you?"

The other shrugged his thin shoulders before a look of realization lit up his features. Immediately, he started to scoff down his anmitsu with much vigor the two babies were surprised the boy had. He had been calmer previously, and it was obvious in the way he had eaten that he had wanted to savour the treat more.

"Hey, you're going to choke if you keep eating so fast, kora." Colonello advised, waving his spoon by the boy's face in an attempt to catch his attention. "Slow down."

"You foget wha Aniki promifed?" The boy spewed out bits of pastries and cream from his bulging cheeks. "He fuppofed ta twain us!"

The Arcobaleno didn't really understand what the boy was talking about, but his companion seemed to understand well enough, as his expression lit up as well and he started scoffing down his anmitsu as well.

"Wha? 'Aniki'? What are you talking about?" Colonello asked, not really catching what the ravenous boy was talking about.

In an astonishing amount of time, both of the boys had finished their lunches and had managed to jump out of their seats, running out of the village. "No time! See you later!" They called behind them as they left.

"They're fast." Reborn observed, his expression blank like always.

Colonello, on the other hand, wasn't quite so much. He was clearly surprised at it, and his mouth was hanging open at them. It wasn't every day that he saw very young children manage to eat something almost as big as them and manage to make it out of sight in ten seconds flat. "I'll say, kora."

* * *

><p>"You really think they'll be able to catch up?" Rikuo said thoughtfully, turning to peek over his shoulder. "They had to use their animals, and they still couldn't keep up."<p>

Though his face was turned away, Rikuo could hear the grin in the fire yōkai's words. "Well, that would prove they aren't yōkai. That baby said they weren't supposed to be."

"That 'baby' didn't even use yōkai powers to make us hurt for weeks." Rikuo said, shuddering at the memory. "I dunno about you, but I'm glad they showed up. They're weird. No one else is like that."

"Except for when Awashima shows up at the baths." Tsuna reminded. "Do you remember how everyone reacted to that?"

Rikuo grinned wickedly, the moment in time clear in his mind. "You bet, haha! I didn't know they could get like that!"

"My mom washed me all the time. It wasn't that long ago." Tsuna giggled along with him.

The two continued chatting happily with each other as they went on, distinctly aware that the two babies were trailing along somewhere behind them. When they were close to the training ground, the two stopped as they sensed the presence of other yōkai nearby. Tsuna caught it easily, and hopped up into the branches were the feeling of **Fear** was strongest with Rikuo close in tow.

"Aniki!" They chimed, giving a big beaming smile to Itaku.

The kamaitachi yōkai huffed, currently more concerned on the two prominent members of the Mafia of the human world following them. "What are you two doing with them? I thought it was made clear we leave them alone." He knew they wouldn't seeing as they kept making hushed whispers that was obviously about them when they were putting them in the main hall. "They were supposed to wake up, believe this place was abandoned, and then leave."

"But Aniki…" Rikuo said, "I thought you told us no one can ever leave if they can't cut **Fear**."

"Yeah," Tsuna nodded, "and they're supposed to be humans. Did you tell us that humans can't use **Fear**?"

Itaku said nothing, as he didn't know how to explain it to them without them whining about it. He decided the best plan was to get their attention away from humans and the ability to use **Fear.** "It's not a good idea for them to be exposed to it. **Fear** is something used by yōkai and yōkai only. If you don't keep them away from the training grounds, I won't teach you how to use **Fear**." He said, satisfied when their moods drooped a little. "You have to understand, humans were kept away from yōkai for a reason. Not get them back to the village, and make sure they don't follow you!"

Though they were grumbling about it, they looked down under them, and jumped, landing directly behind the two running babies. "Oi! Where ya headed?" Rikuo called, grinning when they screeched to a stop and turned their heads around so quickly the yōkai boys swore they heard their necks crack from the force.

"You two?! When did you get behind us, kora?!" Colonello demanded, looking at them then at the path they were going. "You were just in front of us!"

"Eh? When was that? You two must need a nap." Tsuna replied, folding his arms behind his head. "Since when were we in front of you?"

"I've had enough of your attitude, brat." Reborn said before disappearing to behind Tsuna with a kick aimed at his spinal cord. To say that he was surprised when the boy managed to dodge part of it and take most of the blow to the side was an understatement.

Colonello was staring with his mouth open, surprised that someone had managed to detect _Reborn's_ attacks. Though the kid was now crumpled on the ground in pain, the blond had to say, he was impressed. When he looked at his rival, he could tell he thought the same way from that small smirk he was wearing.

On the other hand, Rikuo was staring at Tsuna with a pointedly disappointed stare, and then reached over to nudge him with his foot. "Oi, get up. Even after all that training, you still can't dodge a blow like that? You'll never become as strong as me if you don't keep up."

"Yeah, yeah," Tsuna groaned, stirring a little as he got up. He paused for a moment, sniffing a little as he smelled something strange. When he looked down, he yelled as he realized that when he had fallen down, he had inadvertently set fire on the plants he had landed on. "Agh! Crap! Not again!" He yelled, making a crazy mad hop as he tried to stomp out the flames. Unfortunately, it wasn't working out too well as it seemed to make the flames spread even more.

"Move." Rikuo said, drawing out Nenekirimaru from within his kimono. "I'll take care of it."

Reborn and Colonello watched with surprise as the boy gripped the blade in his hands, and swung it to cut the burning plant away from the rest of the other plants. He then sliced the rest of it into small pieces, forcing the flames to extinguish themselves from lack of fuel.

"Thanks," Tsuna grinned sheepishly. "I always forget to not land on my head."

"Well, that's why I'm here." Rikuo replied, grinning right back at him with an air of nostalgia around them.

The sound of Reborn's voice brought both of them back to reality, and that they were people who shouldn't be learning anything about them. "Where did you learn that?" He asked, staring at Rikuo square in the face.

Rikuo hummed, "This? Someone taught it to me."

"Would that be your 'Aniki'?" Colonello asked, wondering what sort of person this 'Aniki' was to teach them these kinds of abilities. Whoever it was, he must be nearly as strong as them, he concluded.

Both Arcobaleno noted that the two seemed slightly uncomfortable at the mention of this person, though only the two boys could feel the pointed stares at them from everyone in the trees. It didn't take long for them to suddenly start babbling things in a cold sweat.

"Uh, why don't we go back to the village? Maybe someone came back!" Tsuna said, his voice cracking slightly.

Rikuo joined him in his babbling, though his excuses were noticeably smoother than the other's. "Yeah, I forgot to get something I needed for training there, anyways."

* * *

><p>During the way back, the boys were muttering things to each other, occasionally slapping the other on the backside of the head. Knowing that both of them would be too occupied to eavesdrop, the two Arcobaleno started their own conversation.<p>

"What do you think of them, kora?" Colonello asked, keeping a careful eye on the pair.

Reborn hummed for a moment. "A very cautious pair of brats. They're surprisingly careful about what they say."

"Yeah, most kids would babble everything they know without us asking for it." Colonello agreed. "And did you see the way the kid held the sword? It's like he's trained with it all his life."

Reborn frowned as he reviewed the memory in his mind more carefully. "That katana he was carrying is probably very old, since there's not a lot of katana wielders left in Japan anymore. It's definitely been used to kill someone, but it would be hard to tell with how much care the owner put into that blade. From the tsuka, it's probably been in storage for a long period of time before this. Maybe it belongs to his grandfather."

"Their movements aren't like many that I've seen. Even Iemitsu's own apprentice is still struggling to get to that speed." Colonello mused, then suddenly remembered something. "Weren't we supposed to be looking for someone, kora? That kid of Iemitsu's."

Reborn mentally set his priorities straight. Though there were many questionable things he would like to investigate, finding the boy came first. And seeing as there was no other living being here other than the two boys, he had no choice but to question them on anything they knew about Iemitsu's son, Sawada Tsunayoshi. He organized everything that was currently related to the mission, and cursed when he realized he hadn't learned anything crucial the moment he had left Nanimori.

He had been informed that the boy was sent to the north to apparent friends of Nana's, yet he hadn't seen him so far.

Nana was known well in the CEDEF to be a loving and doting mother who cared deeply for her son, but it seemed to contradict with the very mountain she had sent her son to.

The boy was supposedly easy to spot, as he was extraordinarily clumsy and looked very much like Nana.

Yet none of these facts seemed to be true, as the two boys who were obviously not normal were the only people he had seen. Entering the mountain was nearly impossible, as well as destroying their only means of leaving. Reborn had a nagging suspicion there was more to this place than meets the eye, but he wasn't sure how to go around finding out about it. It was obvious that the boys didn't seem to trust him, but maybe Colonello might be of some use here…

The Rain Arcobaleno knew the look in the hitman's eye, and he didn't like it one bit. "Oi, no way, kora! I don't know how to handle kids!" He protested.

"You get along with them better than I do. It's obvious they don't trust me, so that leaves only you." Reborn replied. "You need to find out everything possible about this place, and finding the brat too."

Colonello frowned, but didn't say another word. They noticed that they were quickly approaching the village, but they were getting a strange feeling. It wasn't one that they often felt after years in their occupations, and they also had the skills to be able to have confidence in what they did. But the feeling wasn't one to ignore, as they knew how invaluable it was to feel it on the battlefield. No matter how much they tried to ignore it, they knew the feeling was growing as they got closer to the village.

The feeling of fear.

"Are you sure we should be going this way?" Colonello called out. "It doesn't feel safe, kora."

The fire headed boy replied, "What're you talking about? We've been this way plenty of times, this is the right way back."

"Stop. Right now." Reborn said, shooting bullets at the two boys. It missed them, as he intended, but they hardly twitched at it. The lack of motion was disappointing the hitman. "We need to talk right now."

The boys didn't seem to bothered by it, as they stopped their quick pace and meandered back to them. "Talk? Can't this wait 'til we get back to the village?" The fire boy said, holding his arms behind his head. "We want to go train, y'know."

"Well, we understand that, but…" Colonello started, darting a quick glance at Reborn. "Are you sure this is the right way? I'm getting a bad feeling about that direction."

"That's the sign that everyone's back." The long haired one said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "So we should hurry and go greet them. Isn't that what kids are supposed to do for their elders?"

Colonello muttered something about themselves being old enough to be considered elders, but said out loud, "Are you the only kids in the village? I thought there'd be more of you playing around."

The long haired boy gave the blond a strange look. "No, we're the only kids in the village. It's not really a place for kids anyways."

"Who are you two, really?" Reborn asked suspiciously, flicking his fedora up to get a good look at them.

"Rikuo." The long haired one identified himself, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

The other looked at them thoughtfully, as if trying to decide on something. Finally, he opened his mouth and replied, "Sora."

* * *

><p>AN : Ah, this chapter wasn't as long as I would've like it to have been… Sorry, I'll try to get the next chapter finished fast. It's (at the moment) longer than this one, I just have to fit the names in and make some changes to it. Btw, this story is ending next chapter! Finally, after about 8 months!

Of course, this is unless you want me to write another chapter of Reborn and Colonello's adventure in Tōno and having yōkai there messing with their minds even more. It doesn't really matter to me. If no one leaves a message asking for another chapter with them and/or how they're messed with, I'll really just end it and continue working on The Skies of Night and Day. I'm writing this really for you guys to read, not mine. I'm just having my fun with this.

Just for all you dirty-minded people, the part that Awashima is mentioned in the bath, yōkai trying to cover him/her(?) when they were all bathing. Parents don't particularly like finding out their kids got perverted in an event like that, and I'm pretty sure you guys know what happens when someone badmouths Iemitsu with Nana around. Anyways, in Japan, it's not irregular for a mother and child to bath together. Seeing as they're eight, I don't think they would have forgotten that sort of thing really fast.

Er, **uchiha-sakura193**, I didn't mean anything mean about Rikuo's day form. I meant that since Rikuo was human, he isn't able to use yōkai techniques, so he is well-suited for outwitting yōkai like Hitotsume. But in a yōkai world with all those flashy skills, it's cool seeing yōkai with neat skills. Totally did not mean to say day form Rikuo was boring and whatnot

A thank you to **HakumeiTwinBlade **for suggesting the name 'Sorabi' for Tsuna's fire self. Sorry, I didn't use the 'bi' part because I wasn't entirely sure what it was. If you meant fire, it's written with 'hi,' but I thought the name 'Sorahi' was kind of a strange name so I just left it as 'Sora.' It's common, but I honestly have no imagination for names. Especially foreign ones.

**tsukuyomi . sakurachi** – Tsuna and Rikuo will be learning how to use **Fear** in Tōno just like in canon (for Rikuo, of course), buuuut… hmm.  
>I thought I was being subtle about that hinting there. D; My skills of foreshadowing are very bad LOL um, but yeah. They're only eight years old, so they don't exactly know a lot about him, but they certainly know more than the rest of the Arcobaleno does. I'll be going over more about how they met him in the sequel in a chapter somewhere… working on fitting it in… I already have the perfect setting their first encounter, heheheh.<p> 


	20. Chapter 19

A/N : Just wanting to make it clear to you readers in case you've forgotten, Tsuna is known as 'Sora' to Reborn and Colonello. As such, there will be times when the chapter is concentrated around the Arcobaleno and they will see Tsuna as 'Sora.'

For example:

(Reborn & Colonello POV)

Reborn and Colonello watched Sora and Rikuo stuff their faces.

(Normal/Yōkai POV)

Tsuna and Rikuo stuffed their faces with Reborn and Colonello watching.

Make sense? I haven't labelled the paragraphs, so if this is too confusing, just let me know how I can make it easier to understand. It's just basically depending on whose POV it is, it's using _their_ knowledge of what they know of things.

* * *

><p>As Tsuna and Rikuo ran through the forest, they were careful not glance at each other. They knew if they did, they would start up a conversation between them, which might lead them to revealing something Itaku really wouldn't want them to.<p>

They wouldn't have had to been so careful normally, as they usually kept a wide distance from the babies and spoke in words or gestures only they knew. However, they were carrying passengers on their shoulders as they ran this time. Reborn and Colonello had complained that they were tired from running around all day, and even their partners needed a break. Though Rikuo and Tsuna had tried to dissuade them, they seemed set on being given a ride on their backs for the journey back to the village. Seeing as the babies jumped on their backs and refused to get off, they say no other choice but to do as they wished.

None of the four spoke a word in the few minutes it took to run back to the village, partially because Reborn and Colonello were considering what they knew of the boys, and Rikuo and Tsuna were starting to tire from having to be so secretive and not being able to learn how to use **Fear** as they had been promised.

The two infants on their backs noticed the boys perk up as the signs of the village came near, though Rikuo could feel a slight tenseness from the blond. He figured that the trip reminded Colonello of being carried haphazardly through the woods by Itaku, though Rikuo had no real idea why. He wasn't being carried like the last time, nor was he going anywhere near as fast as the Kamaitachi had been going, though he supposed he was going faster than human standards.

That was when he had another idea spring up in his brain.

Almost as if sensing his thoughts, Tsuna looked over at his cousin with a curious look on his face. Noticing the long bushy mane of fiery hair brushing close to his face, Reborn followed the look to see the mischievous glint in the other boy's crimson colored eye.

"Oi, Sora, feel like having a race back?" Rikuo declared loudly, a broad grin on his face.

Knowing his cousin almost as well as himself during the few weeks Tsuna had spent at the Nura clan main household, the firet gave a similar grin in return. The orange flames that made up his gravity-defying hair grew larger, looking similar to Rikuo's, but was much wilder and shot off multiple sparks from the roots of his hair. "Oh yeah, sounds like fun! Same rules as usual?"

It wasn't hard for the boys to notice Reborn trying to discreetly inch away from Tsuna's sudden hair growth. They couldn't quite tell if he was actually nervous about being so close to fire or being unsettled about someone's hair growing at such a quick rate. Colonello was still swimming in his memories to notice the change.

"You bet! Let's make the goal the food, since we didn't get to collect any earlier." Rikuo suggested, pausing on a branch with Tsuna. "That'll definitely make Aniki train us!"

At this point, Reborn decided to make his presence known. As he couldn't smack the boy's head without the possibility of getting burnt, he opted to kick the spot he was lying on. "Don't go making decisions without our consent."

"Ouch!" Tsuna groaned, closing his eyes in pain. "What kind of baby are you? Did you get dropped on your head or something when you were born?!"

"How rude. I'm the Greatest Hitman in the World, I'm not a normal baby." Reborn replied, "I've killed tons of brats like you, so you'd better show me some respect."

The boys looked at Reborn before looking at each other. A moment passed before they burst out in laughter. "Yeah right," Tsuna snickered, "you haven't done anything to get our respect."

"W-What do you mean by that, kora?" Colonello groaned, leaning over Rikuo's shoulder. "Just because we're infants, kora?"

Tsuna looked thoughtful, scratching his cheek as he looked at Rikuo. "Well, no. There's others who look younger than us we have respect for."

"And there're adults who respect us too." Rikuo added in. "Now let's get going, we need to train!"

Colonello started yelling for his life when Rikuo took off with Tsuna close by. They went at a much slower pace than Itaku had gone, but the way they moved caused the babies on their backs to be thrown side to side like a violently rocking ship. They were more than used to rough travelling, but this was quite different than riding in a car or plane. Falco and Leon watched their masters disappear within a few seconds on a branch out of view. Both animal partners shook their heads; they knew better than to use strange people for transportation.

* * *

><p><em>One hour later…<em>

"That was a great warm-up!" Tsuna beamed, feeling slightly breathless but even more rejuvenated. "And we got plenty of food too!"

"Yeah, Aniki can't say he can't teach us now!" Rikuo said confidently, looking determined to finally learn how to use **Fear**. Even if Itaku said no, they would keep on pestering until he taught them.

Suddenly remembering something, the firet tried turning his head around to where the infant had been on his back when they had started their competition. "Oi, uh, what was your name again? Uh, Black Baby?"

This time, Tsuna fell over as he received a heavy kick on his tailbone. He groaned in pain, turning his head slowly to stare at the infant hitman standing imposingly behind him. "What did you call me, brat?" He asked threateningly, more daring him to repeat himself than asking him to repeat himself.

"No need to get all touchy," Tsuna groaned, sitting up. "Agh, my back is cracking."

Rikuo snickered next to him. "You sound like Gramps."

Tsuna grumbled an incoherent reply, and stood up, glaring at the baby. Reborn just looked back at him with a cute innocent baby expression, but the other yōkai boys weren't fooled. "Don't try acting all cutesy here."

For a moment, it almost looked like Reborn gave a pout before his face was swiped clean of expression once more. "As if a brat like you can order me around." Reborn retorted as he aimed a kick at the side of Tsuna's kneecap. The boy's face scrunched up in pain before falling face first into the ground once more, muttering curses at the infant hitman.

At the side, Rikuo sighed before drawing his sword and easily cutting away any plants close to Tsuna's burning head. It wouldn't do for someone to find out and rat them out to a nature yōkai. For such peaceful and loving yōkai, they could be rather vicious when their plants were involved. Not that they would know, they somehow managed to always pass the blame onto someone else. While Tsuna was recovering from the attack, Rikuo eyed the baby carefully. "What happened to the other baby?" He asked carefully.

"Who knows. He's not my responsibility." Reborn replied easily, crossing his small arms in front of his chest. "Shouldn't you know? He was on your back."

The red-eyed boy shrugged, not really caring. "If he was a baby, I might. But he's not, so I don't."

This statement made Reborn curious. The Tri-Ni-Set was a carefully guarded secret, and very few Famiglias knew of it. Even then, only the high ranking members were told about the Tri-Ni-Set and what they were. Did this boy knew what it was, too?

"How do you know he's not a baby?" Reborn asked. "Has he met you before?"

"No, I haven't." Rikuo replied easily, not really caring too much. "He's never seen me either."

"Really? What do you mean by that?" The infant asked, slightly suspicious of the boy now. "Colonello has travelled to many places in Japan. I'm sure he's possibly seen you somewhere."

Rikuo shook his head, knowing that it was impossible for the blond to have ever seen him. Well, not like this, anyways. "No. I doubt it. It's not important, anyways. Actually, didn't you say you were looking for someone here?"

The hitman frowned slightly, tilting his head to allow the fedora to cover his eyes. It was clear that the boy was trying to avoid talking about the topic, but he let it drop for now. He knew children were easy to get information from, and it was possible he could make the boy slip up. Even if he didn't manage to find out immediately, he still had some time to find out. He didn't plan on leaving until he asked; it might be the clue he needed to figure out this strange village.

"Yeah," Reborn replied, "a brown haired boy that's eight years old."

The part-yōkai snorted and shook his head. "You know how many eight year olds are around? That doesn't describe anything about him."

The infant internally debated with himself, as if he wasn't sure if he could tell the other or not. But seeing as there was no one else around, he supposed it would be alright. He was sure that it wouldn't be hard to track these two down and eliminate them if they decided to speak of what he told them to others. "The boy's name is Sawada Tsunayoshi."

For a moment, Rikuo just stared at him, blinking occasionally. For a moment, Reborn saw a flicker of recognition flash through his crimson colored eyes. Aha, so he did know who the boy was. Or at least, he was aware of the name. However, his nose wrinkled up. "That's a weird name. Who names them something like that?" He drawled, looking at his unconscious cousin on the floor.

"Do you know him, or don't you?" Reborn asked, pressing for answers. It was obvious to him that Rikuo knew something, but he didn't want to say. "You'd better tell me."

"Well," Rikuo started, folding his hands behind his head. "I don't. I haven't exactly seen everyone around here. People come and go here, so you never really know everyone. But maybe the leader would know."

At this, Reborn stared hard at the boy. "Leader? I don't remember anyone being in the village at all."

"Well, if you don't believe me, you can come and check the village yourself. You're just not good at telling people are there. Come on, it's not far to the village now. Use those tiny legs of yours to get moving!" Rikuo said before pulling the groaning Tsuna onto one shoulder and jumping off to where the village apparently was.

* * *

><p>Reborn decided not to follow after the pair, wanting instead to think about the situation more carefully. Things were progressing too quickly without him knowing enough; he had to organize what he knew and what he wanted to do next before progressing further. Besides, he knew where they were going. It wouldn't be hard to catch up to them with Leon.<p>

"Colonello."

The blond appeared from the branches with the soft sound of Falco's wings swishing through the air. It released him as soon as he came into view, and dropped down to the ground next to Reborn. The predatory bird landed on top of Colonello's head, preening itself carefully. "I finished the recon, but I didn't get to find out much, kora." The Rain Arcobaleno with a frown.

Reborn made a passive noise, but nodded at the other to continue. Something was better than nothing.

"The fear that we felt earlier, it's coming from the village we're heading to. I'm guessing it's the only village around here, since there aren't any other signs of people living within a mile of here, kora." Colonello said, casting glances at the direction the boys had gone. "I decided to check around the village again, since I didn't feel any presence in there before. I figured those kids either didn't notice it or won't tell us about it. But when I got there, well, it's hard to explain, kora."

"Why? Is it related to the Mafia world or Tsunayoshi?" Reborn questioned immediately, getting a feeling that it was involved with the latter.

Colonello shook his head, and frowned. "No, it doesn't, kora. Well, I doubt it does. Just come and see yourself; it'll be easier than explaining it to you myself. I don't know what to make of it, kora."

The infant hitman frowned, but had no real choice but to see it for himself. It was the only place to find information on Tsunayoshi, anyways. And his intuition was starting to nag at him; there was something about this village that was connected to Tsunayoshi's apparent disappearance. If that was true, then it was possible the other people of the village likely had kidnapped him and was holding him hostage. Reborn wasn't able to communicate with Nono to find out who might know about Tsunayoshi's heritage, but he was sure there was possibly one or two that were aware the young brunet existed. He would have been more comfortable if he knew who did.

As it was, he had no real choice but to investigate himself if he wanted to find out anything about what the Rain Arcobaleno had discovered in the village. But he would have to keep his guard up; he knew very well that if he felt fear, and he knew he _was_ feeling fear, then the opponent or whatever it was would likely be dangerous. It would be better with a little warning, but he was willing to go and find out for himself. He wasn't the World's Greatest Hitman for nothing.

"Right, let's go then." Reborn said, motioning for his partner to come and take him to the village.

It didn't take them very long, but when they got to the outskirts of the village, the pair noticed Sora and Rikuo waiting for them with an obviously disgruntled expression.

"Really, does it take you that long to catch up? We weren't even going that fast." Rikuo grumbled, looking thoroughly annoyed.

Though Sora didn't look like he was in any position to complain as he had been half-carried to this point, the firet scowled at them, "You should be using your own strength to get here. Making others do the work for you. That's a stupid thing to do."

As a reward for daring to speak like that to him, Reborn kicked the boy in the stomach this time. This effectively made him double up in pain, crumbling to the ground in a fetal position. "S-Stupid baby! Urgh-!" He babbled, starting to twitch and foam at the mouth as he passed out.

Not seeming to be disturbed that the other had been knocked out twice within an hour, Rikuo leaned over to examine the unconscious brunet. "Wow," Rikuo said, "haven't seen him pass out like that in a while. How'd ya do it?"

"You should be using polite language to your superiors." Reborn replied, safely kicking the boy in the face this time. He smirked in satisfaction as the other boy went down with a groan, joining Sora in his position on the ground and in pain.

Colonello shifted uneasily next to him. "Was that a good idea, kora? We saw what happened the last time Sora fell down."

"Don't worry about it." Reborn replied, already turning away to enter the village. "If a fire starts up again, I'll get rid of it. And I'm sure a little rain can take of it anyways."

A sudden gust of wind blew past them, and the tall dark teen who had carried them to the village had appeared once again. He was standing between the Arcobaleno and the unconscious boys, though his attention was more on the boys than the babies. Though most of this back was to the experienced Mafioso members, the two noticed that the boy's lean frame was tense as though he was prepared to strike at them in a moment's notice. If it wasn't for the fact that they knew he was stronger than he let on, the two would have assumed he was a boy that was very wary against strangers.

"If those two are you brothers, you should be taking better care of them, kora." Colonello said after a moment of silence. "They look up to you, you know."

The boy didn't say anything, but he scowled as he turned to look at the Arcobaleno. He looked at them with a calculating gaze, before turning back around and picking up each of the boys with an arm. "If you're coming into the village, follow me. I won't be cutting you any slack just because you're young." The boy said before running off once more, kicking up a storm of leaves behind him.

Reborn and Colonello shielded their faces with their arms as the wind blasted past them. As the wind died away, they let their arms fall at their eyes to see a trail of long cuts on the tree trunks leading into somewhere in the village. They stared at it for a while, neither of them making a move to follow it. "You think it's safe to follow them, kora?" Colonello asked, staring intently at the marks. With all the weirdness going on around the mountain, it was very hard to tell who to trust other than themselves. Colonello was quite sure that Reborn was feeling the same, as he hadn't spoken much since they had arrived here.

"I don't know." Reborn replied reluctantly, "They're very careful about what they say, something people don't usually do. They don't seem to know who we are, so it's easy to guess what they're trying to hide."

"I'm not so sure about that," the blonde said doubtfully. "Although I agree with you about them being secretive, I don't think it's like that. It feels more like there's something they don't want to tell a pair of outsiders. I doubt it's anything as bad as what we've seen."

The hitman nearly snorted at that. "Do you really think so? You've become naïve with your training." Reborn chided, ignoring the blond's cries of protest. "A village like this living in such an isolated area are usually a proud group of idiots willing to do anything to keep themselves in existence. No, I'm sure there's something going on here, but there's no point digging into it. It's none of our business."

"Should we follow them? It could be a trap if you're right." Colonello gestured to the cuts. "They're our only lead on that Tsunayoshi, though. Unless you're confident that you can find something out by yourself."

It didn't take much for Reborn to decide what to do. He opened his mouth to voice his decision, but closed it when Falco took flight again. It snatched the chameleon off Reborn's fedora with practiced ease, and again ignored their shouts and calls. There were several bullets coming from the angry hitman, but all of them knew they wouldn't hit. The bird was all too familiar with being shot at by Lal during training. It didn't hurt that Leon had changed into a shield of sorts to protect it, since it knew quite well the type of weapons its partners used. Reborn cursed as they disappeared in the direction the leaves led to.

"I wonder if they're affected by all of this, kora." Colonello wondered. "I've never seen Falco act like this, no matter how bad things get. I hate to admit it, but I think there's something happening here. Something that we can't handle on our own."

Reborn frowned, unwilling to accept it. "No, the only thing we don't know how to deal with is Checkerface, and none of this is something that would be involved with the Tri-Ni-Set or the I Prescelti Sette. This is all likely to be just some tradition of the village or some village that trained ninjas in the past."

The infant hitman took off after the fleeing animals, leaving Colonello to mull things over for a while more. He instinctively felt that somehow, none of the three strange boys had aimed any hostility towards him. The younger two seemed keen on having fun with them from what he could tell, but they seemed to somehow dislike Reborn. The blond wasn't sure if that was because they felt Reborn's way of dealing with others, particularly young children trained in combat, or just because the way Reborn was. Seeing as how his own rivalry-type relationship with the hitman was, he could guess it was the latter.

As he took off after the others, a sudden, slightly random, thought struck his mind.

"I wonder if our Dying Will Flames have anything to do with it."

* * *

><p>"Wake up, you idiots! This isn't the time to be swooning like idiots!" Itaku snarled as he shook the two boys, trying to revive them. Unfortunately, he would bring them just to the point of waking up, then his vicious shaking would make them pass out again. "Wake up! Or I'm not training you for the rest of your break!"<p>

At that, their ears perked and they immediately stirred. Itaku gave a breath of relief, but didn't slow his pace. "Finally, you two slept like the dead."

"Ugh, wh-what happened? Why does my nose feel… broken?" Rikuo moaned, feeling his head aching with every step.

Tsuna didn't say a word, but he was deathly pale as he clutched his stomach that Itaku's arm was wrapped around. He felt like he was going to throw up if he said a word, so he concentrated with all his might not to do anything until he got to solid ground within the safety, and privacy, of his room.

"Tsuna? You feeling all right there?" Itaku asked, noticing the firet's silence. When the two had first begun training, he was aware that the boy wasn't as physically strong as his cousin. His blows lacked the strength and conviction that Rikuo had, but Itaku felt that if the boy was given a reason, his strength would be much greater. That didn't stop the boy from being much more fragile than he should be. "You look like you're going to be sick."

"I am going to be sick." Tsuna said shortly, his tone clipped and pointed. "Stop. I need to—"

Before Tsuna could get through his sentence, turned his head to, unfortunately, Itaku's direction and heaved a portion of his 'meal' from earlier onto the yōkai's formerly clean tunic. Itaku's expression twisted into one of disgust as he held the sick boy away from him. He let Rikuo down, as the boy seemed to have mostly recovered, and inspected his clothes.

As he thought, most of Tsuna's food had become mostly digested when it had been violently thrown from its comfortable place in the firet's stomach. As most of it was sugary sweets and the like, it gave a very strong smell that made the Kamaitachi nearly tear up, but kept himself from doing so to keep his dignity. He didn't want Rikuo to spread it around the village, and he didn't need the two humans seeing this either. Grabbing Tsuna and throwing him onto his shoulder so he could throw up to his heart's content and not splash on Itaku any more, they took off at an even faster pace so Itaku could get changed. He swore he heard Rikuo snickering behind him.

"Shut up, shouldn't you be watching for those brats?" Itaku snapped at him.

Rikuo gave a look of surprise, but it quickly melted into a smirk. "Well, seeing how fast we're going, I doubt they'll be able to catch up easily. We're leaving them a trail to follow, so it doesn't matter. And once we get to the village, someone will be able to take care of them."

"It'll be better to get rid of them as soon as possible. No human has ever set foot in the village before, there's no reason for them to." Itaku said. "I don't know how they managed to slip past the village's **Fear**, but I'm going to make sure they don't stay."

"That might be hard… One of them told me they were here looking for someone." Rikuo said with a frown.

Itaku didn't give it much thought. "Doesn't matter. Whoever it is, it can't be someone from here. All the yōkai here don't associate with the humans whenever possible."

But the boy shook his head, knowing it wasn't that simple. "No, they came here looking for Tsuna."

At that, Itaku stopped and stared at Rikuo. "Tsuna? This kid?" He asked, pointing at the boy lying on his shoulder. When the long haired boy nodded in confirmation, Itaku didn't look happy, but continued onwards. "Any reasons why?"

"None that I can think of," Rikuo replied thoughtfully, "Gramps never told me of anyone like them. But when they first introduced themselves, the black one said he was a hitman and the blond one said he was a member of COMBUSIN or something."

"Just some human group then. Wonder what they want with this brat. From what I've heard about you two, he's not at all like a yōkai as a human. Really docile and ignored." Itaku noted, trying to come up with reasons for people from the human underworld wanting an eight year old child. From what he knew of Nana, she would never allow her baby boy to be involved with anything she knew he wasn't capable of. Then why…?

"There's also something else; they have a pacifier. The both of them." Rikuo said seriously. "They look just like Bermuda's, but theirs are yellow and blue."

That was the piece that Itaku needed, and he now realized why they were looking for Tsuna. Though they weren't really close to Nana, they had heard from the yōkai about what had happened in Nanimori that had led to her sending her son there. It made sense, he supposed, but he didn't know why they took eight years to finally show up. Had something come up to cause this?

"Whatever, the human world has nothing to do with me." Itaku grumbled, shoving the piece of information aside to tell the others once he reached the village. Akagappa would be to tell them what to do with these 'intruders.'

* * *

><p>"Have they slowed down yet, kora?" Colonello asked, trying to spot the flying bird or the green chameleon through the branches of the trees. He wasn't tired yet really, but he was starting to get annoyed that Falco was flying away from him and ignoring his orders. It was usually much more obedient, and the blond was sure that Leon was much the same with Reborn.<p>

The trail of cuts the pair had been following were starting to fade, but they knew they just had to follow the fear they were keeping deep inside themselves and they would reach their destinations. They didn't understand why they were feeling scared as they approached the village, as it seemed to be just a harmless little settlement made up of some huts and a meeting hall with several other buildings to make up their community. There wasn't even a hint of murderous intent coming from anyone in the village. Or if they were hiding it, they were exceptionally skilled.

That thought didn't sit well with them.

They soon reached the entrance to the village, completely abandoned as it had been when they first woke up. "Villagers? The brat was lying to us." Reborn growled, pulling his fedora down to cover his eyes from view.

Though Colonello didn't reply, he was doubtful of that. He wasn't quite sure why, but he felt like it wasn't that Rikuo was lying to them. And there was also that feeling as though they were being closely examined, something he was sure Reborn could feel. No matter how he looked in the forest and the buildings, he couldn't find anyone to the eye. It was almost like they had come into a ghost village.

"Do you see them, kora?" Colonello asked, keeping his voice low and eyes trained on his surroundings.

The hitman didn't reply and kept his face away from Colonello, but the subtle shake of his head told the blond everything he needed to know. He cursed, but they needed to make a plan for now until they found the kids again. "Let's head to the picnic table, kora. They might be eating something again. Kids don't last long on just sugar."

"We'll see. Let's head over there." Reborn said simply, and they both left quickly, wanting to be rid of the feeling of being watched. It wasn't comfortable, and the hitman was highly tempted to pull out his weapons and shoot everywhere until the feeling vanished. Colonello was thinking along the same lines. "I can't sense anyone in here. I'm sure the boy said he was taking the other two here, and they headed in this direction."

"What, you can't even tell we're right behind you?"

Instantly going on guard and pulling out their weapons, the two Arcobaleno trained their guns on the faces of Rikuo and Sora. The two looked slightly annoyed, though Sora's face was still pale and Rikuo had pieces of tissue stuck up his nose to stop the bleeding. Reborn snorted; he hadn't kicked _that_ hard.

Reluctantly, they put their guns away, but were wary to keep their guard up. There was something obviously wrong for two young children to sneak up on them when they were looking for someone. If they had wanted to, Reborn didn't doubt they could ambush them and they wouldn't be able to retaliate until it was too late.

"You don't have to be so nervous." Rikuo said, his voice quite nasal as his nose was blocked. "We aren't going to do anything. It's no fun bugging you two; everyone else in the village is way more fun!"

Colonello jumped closer to them, a scowl on his face. "Who is this everyone else, kora!? I haven't seen a single person since we've woken up in this village! Show us that someone actually lives here, kora!"

The boys gave a long slow blink, looking at each other questioningly. "What're you talking about? Can't you hear them?" Sora asked, eyes flicking between them and to multiple places in the village. I would've thought you noticed. They're not really a quiet bunch."

"What happened to that person you left with, the one you call your 'brother?'" Reborn asked, pulling his fedora down to cover his expression from the others.

"Oh, Big Bro is off somewhere, said he had to talk to the village leader about something." Rikuo said, waving his hand dismissively.

Scowling, Sora nudged the side of Rikuo's stomach with his elbow. "Oi, aren't we supposed to bring them there?" He whispered, though the infant hitman's keen ears caught every word.

The other boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Doesn't matter, they'll get there eventually." He replied, not bothering to keep his voice low. He was aware of the babies listening, obvious from the attentive way they seemed to be watching them. "If you want to meet the boss, just head right on back to where you woke up. I think they're waiting there for you."

"You're not coming with us?" The blond questioned, curious that the boys were coming. Was it a trap?

"No way," Sora growled, straightening up and setting his fists and his hips. "the last time we went, they tricked us into doing double workload. It ached to move for a whole week. We aren't going, and there's no way you're dragging us with you. We have to do training now, anyways."

"If you forgot," Rikuo said, pointing off in a direction where the largest building in the village was, "you have to go there. Good luck, you'll need it."

He and Sora waved as they left, walking back out of the village. Reborn and Colonello both stared at the spot they had disappeared into the grassy underbrush, both considering their option that they had at the moment; follow the boys to their training and find out what it was they did here, or go to the large building they had first woke up in and find out more information about the village. It wasn't exactly an easy decision for them.

"I'm going to head to the hall they mentioned." Reborn said, turning to the blond. "What are you going to do?"

He jerked his head in the direction the boys left. "I'm thinking of following after them. If they're able to reach that amount of skill at a young age, I might be able to use it with some of the new trainees."

The hitman frowned. "Are you sure about that? We know nothing about them, and we have no idea where this training place is. It might be a trap."

Colonello shook his head. "No, they seem trustworthy to me. I don't know about you, though. That fast kid seems to dislike you a lot. Heh, it's kind of like seeing your ex-girlfriends fight each other for you in a way."

"What was that, idiot rival?" Reborn growled, butting heads with Colonello.

"Only the truth." The blond replied in kind, giving a smirk. They stared intently in each other's eyes, their teeth grinding and it was easy to sense the tension in the air.

"If you two want to do that, that's just fine, but go do it somewhere else."

Both Arcobaleno whirled around with hostility in their eyes, both black and blue orbs landing on the figure standing against the wall of a building, his expression annoyed with a bit of exasperation.

"As if I would be willing to do anything with _him_." The blond huffed, crossing his arms and turning away with a scowl. "I don't associate with lizard owners."

The boy didn't say anything, but got off the wall. "Whatever you do is none of my business. Anyways, I'm here to take you to see the leader. Everyone's getting impatient, and you're taking too long. If you don't start moving, I'll drag you there myself."

The unspoken threat in his words hung in the air for a moment, and Colonello instantly jumped forward to stand next to the teen. Though he wasn't exactly sure he was safe around the boy, he didn't want to go through another one of those 'rides' again. Besides, he could sense that any hostility the dark teen had was directed at Reborn. Though he had no real idea why, he felt that he could share the sentiment. It took a while for him to even be able to stand being in the same room as the hitman without going all out on him.

"Well?" The boy asked, his body halfway turned. "Are you coming or not?"

"Not until I get some answers." Reborn replied shortly, his tone carefully blank.

The boy sighed and ignored the request, turning to walk away. "You can get your answers from the leader. I don't reveal our secrets to strangers like you. That's not my choice to make. Well, even if you did somehow find out, it wouldn't be hard to eliminate you."

The Arcobaleno frowned, not sure if the boy was over-confident in his skills, or actually had the ability to kill them if he had to. Reborn scowled, but followed after the other two. He didn't exactly have much choice, seeing as there was no one else he could detect, the boys were likely long gone, and he had no idea how to get through the mist and back to a Vongola base.

"Fine," he groused, "but this leader of yours had better give me the answers I want."

The boy stopped and turned following around, his posture looking quite imposing as he loomed over Reborn. "When you meet him, you had better mind your tone. Everyone in the village respects him, and they would easily kill you if you talk like that to him." He warned.

"I'll keep that in mind." Reborn replied, and walked past him. "He's in the building over there, right? Let's get going."

Behind him, Colonello noticed the frown on the boy's face, but it quickly disappeared and returned to being expressionless so quick, the blond thought he had imagined it.

* * *

><p>Reborn and Colonello had ended up back in the hall they had first woken up in like Rikuo and Sora had said, though this time, they weren't the only occupants in the hall. Around them, there were… <em>creatures<em> sitting in two neat rows on either side of them.

The reason they considered them to be creatures rather than people was simply based on the fact they didn't look like any human they had ever seen, the closest being experiments they discovered in science famiglia. There were a scarce few that appeared to be human, but seemed so close to the non-human ones, they assumed they were something different as well. Particularly when they remembered the three boys from earlier that had much superior strength and speed most people their age didn't possess.

There were a number of humanoid looking creatures that wore clothing like the three boys wore and some that didn't. There was a large assortment of other creatures that didn't look remotely human at all, and left Reborn and Colonello puzzled at where exactly they had landed themselves in.

Whatever this place was, Reborn was sure that Nana wouldn't have sent Tsunayoshi here, and that he had most likely been given the wrong information. He wasn't entirely sure if that was what happened, and he didn't like to think he had somehow screwed it up, but he didn't have any reason to believe that Sawada Tsunayoshi was placed in a village full of non-humans.

It was a perplexing situation.

Currently, the pacifier holders were sitting on two cushions placed noticeably in the middle of the room, where it would be easy for the pair to be surrounded if they tried to escape. It was hard to say if it would be difficult, as non-humans had a nasty habit of having special abilities no one but them knew of.

There was a large seat in the far end of the room, though it was empty of its occupant and attendants. Colonello and Reborn had silently agreed that the large seat was meant for the leader of the village, as well as its elder. Seeing the massive size of the chair that all the Arcobaleno combined wouldn't be able to fit as they were now, they figured it was probably a fat old man or another non-human. They were more inclined to believe it was the latter.

The villagers themselves were eating what appeared to be perfectly normal food, and it smelled of freshly home-cooked food made from ingredients found around the mountain. From the faint tang in the air, Reborn knew that sake was going around the room. The villagers didn't give much reason to believe otherwise, as they were being loud and boisterous; challenging each other to a drinking contest, making bets with each other, stealing each other's food with their special abilities, and a few others. There wasn't really anything that reminded them of a mafia that they knew of.

"They're quite a noisy bunch, kora." Colonello noted, sipping a steaming cup of tea.

The infant hitman replied, "Much like you when Lal gets called away on a mission."

"S-Shut up, kora!" The blond snapped, his eyes looking pointedly away and a faint red tint on his chubby cheeks.

A small girl who looked only a few years older than them silently came by with a tray of food. On the tray there was a dish of homely Japanese food that made their stomachs grumble hungrily. Colonello was drooling slightly, having to maintain a strict diet while training. And since he had been sent to help out Reborn earlier, he hadn't been able to get a decent snack at all today. It wasn't that he wasn't disciplined enough to keep a grip on himself, but damn it he was hungry and that food smelled really good!

At times like these, Colonello hated being a baby.

Though it was clear to everyone else they were quite hungry, they were trying to check the food quite discreetly for poison or any type of drugs slipped into their food. When they were satisfied that there was nothing but home-grown ingredients, they eagerly tucked into the food.

"This is pretty good, kora!" Colonello complimented as he chewed, stuffing his mouth full as he ate. "I never thought a village like this would be able to cook so well! I've never been to a Japanese restaurant that made food as well as here, kora!"

The girl gave a knowing smile at them, saying, "Many of us have much experience with cooking." Before taking her leave. Reborn had paused in his eating to stare at the girl's retreating back.

Through his intuition, he felt as though there was a hidden meaning in what she just said. He could see Colonello's hesitation mid-bite as well, and was instantly sure that it wasn't just his imagination forcing his intuition into action.

He put down the chopsticks and stared around at the other occupants, noticing that they were looking right back at him and were putting their food down as well. He took this as a sign meaning he could state what he wanted now. Colonello ignored him for the most part, wanting to get as much sustenance before they got into trouble and they would have to fight their way out the mountain. Lal would be sure to scold him and train him even harder if he so much as panted when he got back.

"Where is this leader of yours? I want to ask him some things." He said, watching everyone around him carefully.

He was surprised when baboon-like villagers snarled and bared their fangs at him, their faces clearing expressing that they were enraged. "Do not address Akagappa-sama so impudently!"

Colonello jumped into the conversation, having a feeling that Reborn was just going to make the situation worse than it already was. "Whoa, okay there, kora. We didn't mean that, the three boys we met earlier didn't give us a name, so we didn't know."

The baboon-like people shuffled slightly, though they were clearly offended that their great leader had been insulted. The small girl who had delivered their food to them came by, standing off to the side slightly. Since she wasn't too tall, the two babies didn't have to tilt their heads up too far to see her face. The expression on her face was carefully guarded and held none of the friendly air that she had when she had given them their food. She looked at them calculatingly for a few moments, then told them, "Akagappa-sama is taking care of some business, but he will be here shortly. Please just enjoy your meal, and he will come."

Reborn nodded and turned back to his tea, wishing that he had a nice cup of espresso rather than the mild taste of green tea. It didn't have the aroma he loved so much. Over the rim of the cup, he observed that all the villagers around them shuffled around restlessly, eying them carefully. He frowned. He didn't to aggravate them so quickly; he hadn't gauged their strength and abilities yet to be confident enough to face them in battle. But he learned one important thing: 'Akagappa' is a very important figure to the people of this village and had the respect of every villager here.

* * *

><p>"What do you suppose they're doing?" Tsuna asked, dodging a blow from Rikuo's wooden blade coming up from the side.<p>

Rikuo hummed. Dancing to the side as his training partner aimed a vertical slash, he replied, "Dunno. I suppose that baby with the hat would be getting everyone angry."

Tsuna grinned, knowing what had happened when they had first disrespected Akagappa by accident. "Yeah, though I suppose the blond is likeable enough. He has this… nice air around him, I think?" He said, wrinkling his nose at an attempt to swipe at his ankles. "I dunno how to say it. It just feels nice!"

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Rikuo replied, to ram him and run the wooden blade into the firet's belly. Tsuna spun to the side, though the sword managed to catch him on the side and tear a hole in his clothes.

"Aww! You put another hole in my shirt again! This was my third one already. Big Bro is gonna be mad." Tsuna complained, staring at the hole in his side.

Rikuo didn't really care, as he merely stepped forward to gave a sharp rap to Tsuna's knee, causing the other to yelp in pain and drop his sword onto the stump. "Come on, you need to get better at using a sword. If we get into an actual fight, then you'll be getting holes in more than just your shirt. Don't worry so much about it."

"It's not that I'm worrying!" The fiery boy snapped, brushing himself off irritably. "Using a sword… It just doesn't feel right. I'm probably more of a **Fear** user than a weapon."

All he received in reply was a hum, then Rikuo leaned over to pick up the fallen sword. "Well, I guess we should stop then. We'll tell Big Bro when he comes."

"It's not like he'll do anything." Tsuna grumbled, taking back the practice weapon. "He's gonna make sure I get it right before I can leave."

"You won't have to worry about that for the moment." Akagappa said, appearing on the stump next to them.

"Akagappa-sama!" Both boys cried out in surprise, not expecting the leader of Tōno to come to them. "Weren't you supposed to be meeting those strange babies?"

They received a swift slap to the back of their heads from Akagappa's advisor for that comment. "Be more respectful! What an annoying species, Nurarihyon is."

"Itaku has told me why they are here." Akagappa interjected, "I'm sure you would like to listen to whatever else they have to say. Nana has sent Tsuna here to be protected and train, so there should have been no one that followed him. It is likely to be someone sent by your father, but we can't be too sure. If their reasons are not trustworthy, we can always send them out."

The boys grinned at each other, both liking the sound of that. And if Akagappa was saying what he meant he was saying, then that meant they would be helping to get rid of them. With their pranks that they had come up with and wasn't able to pull with everyone being too used to their ways, they would make sure neither baby ever wanted to set foot in Tōno ever again.

"Can we go? Can we go?" The boys asked, their eyes begging to go and play with the babies. It had been a while, and there were no other yōkai that they could prank unsuspectingly like back in the Nura house.

Akagappa chuckled. "That is why I have come to get you. I remember when your families came here; always enjoyed causing ruckus. I suppose it runs in the family."

The boys grinned knowingly, remembering when their families told them of their pranks they did on other yōkai back when they were young. Some of them had inspired the young ones with their own twists on past pranks, and several yōkai had claimed they felt like they had gone back in time when Nurarihyon, Rihan and Nana would go around making a fool out of everyone. Many exchanged snickers between them hinted that it wasn't going to be the last one in years to come.

It wasn't a welcoming thought to all the Nura clan members.

"Let's get going then." Akagappa said, turning away to head back to the village. With all too gleeful expressions, the boys followed them easily back to the Grand Hall, though they didn't follow Akagappa and his advisors into the building. No, they used their own 'entrance' into the Hall they had discovered during their first few days of exploring the village. It was a secret hiding spot big enough for the pair of them that allowed them to see and hear everything that went on in the Hall, and didn't allow them to be spotted by the people in the Hall. Of course, it didn't exactly work with all the yōkai being easily able to detect two young children who didn't have the ability to use **Fear**. However, it did work with two babies who had no idea that they were in a village of yōkai or that there were beings that had the ability to use **Fear**. It worked quite well to their advantage.

"What'd you think they're talking about?" Tsuna whispered, peering over everyone. They could hear the voices of various yōkai floating up to them, but there were too many conversations going on to pay attention to.

Rikuo eyed the scene with little interest, not really paying attention to any particular one. "Dunno. Maybe about what happened in the baths last night." He said idly.

"Really?" Tsuna asked, his face scrunching up. "That's the usual stuff though. Wouldn't it be more interesting to talk about how two babies like them got into Tōno?"

"I guess it would." The other replied, "But you know everyone here. There's nothing really new around here after a couple hundred years. These are probably the first humans to ever come in here."

"We're partly human." Tsuna pointed out, "But you don't see then talking about us."

"Remember who our parents are? They're not new to yōkai here. Plenty yōkai know 'em." Rikuo replied, pointedly talking about Tsuna's mother and Rikuo's father and grandfather. It was true; they were still talked about even after more than a hundred years. There wasn't nearly enough that happened during the past centuries to capture their attention really.

Suddenly, Tsuna slapped a hand against Rikuo's mouth, keeping him from speaking any further. "Shh!" He hissed at him. "It looks like they're going to start… whatever it is they're doing."

"You two… are humans, am I correct?" Akagappa said, looking over the rim of his large sakezuki cup. Next to him, one of the yōkai poured sake into the dish. He took a deep sip from the cup and gave a deep sigh.

"Of course, isn't it obvious?" Reborn retorted, looking incredulous. "What else would we be?"

There was a snarl from many of the yōkai, and both of the boys knew that the baby had instantly earned the hostility from every yōkai in the room. They had grins on their faces and tried to muffle their snickers behind their hands. The babies had good hearing after all.

"It isn't quite as obvious to you, is it." Akagappa mused, watching two with a knowing look. "Well, I suppose you haven't seen one of our kind for a long time."

This time, Colonello decided to question the yōkai. The boys knew that the baby was fully aware of the hostility emanating from the others, and that one wrong move could result in their deaths. No matter how skilled they were. "Your kind? What would this be, kora? I admit that you don't look… normal… but that can't mean you're not human."

"But that is precisely how we describe ourselves." Akagappa replied, taking another long sip of sake and held it out for someone to refill. Someone quickly did so, before moving back with a disrespectful bow. "You seem like you have something you want to say. 'What do you mean, not human? What are you then?' Am I correct?"

Colonello had a sharp intake of breath, but neither backed down, both of their eyes staring into the larger yōkai's eyes. "That's right." Reborn replied. "I've never met anyone who didn't call themselves human."

"But to us, one year or a hundred years doesn't make a difference to us." The great yōkai said, watching the two babies. "I believe the same holds for you. You two aren't truly babies as you want others to believe. There's nothing in your actions to make us believe such a thing anyways."

Rikuo and Tsuna looked at each other with clear confusion in their faces. So, they weren't real babies after all? They knew they wouldn't be exactly _normal_ babies that they knew of, but that they weren't actually babies at all? The thought hadn't crossed either's mind. They leaned closer, hoping to hearing more about the two strange babies.

"What do you mean by that, kora?" Colonello asked now. "Only babies like us can look like babies. Even if you aren't really human, you would be small like us when you were young, kora."

There were snickers around them now, as the surrounding humanoids snickered and were clearly hiding something. Even the attendants at the leader's side were giving obvious smirks at the pair. It was obvious there was a secret going on between everyone, but neither baby had any idea what it was. They were in unfamiliar territory, after all. And if what the leader said was true and that they weren't human, then it was something they wouldn't be able to figure out easily.

"I can tell you're confused. Well, it's understandable seeing as how it is such a closely guarded secret amongst you seven. Tri-Ni-Set, am I correct?" Akagappa said, setting his cup down and folding his hands in front of him. After looking at their surprised expressions, Akagappa chuckled, a deep rumble in his throat. "Do not be so surprised. We met one much like you two before. If I'm correct, you two represent the Sun and the Rain, no?"

"Y-Yeah." Colonello said, stunned. "How do you know about-?"

The large yōkai waved a hand. "We are not so unaware we don't know about these new powers sprouting amongst your kind. It is never a good idea to be unprepared with such unpredictable people." He said, his meaning embedded in his tone. "Now, who is the Rain?"

"I am." Colonello said, raising his head up. "What of it, kora?"

Akagappa stared at him wordlessly for a while, and the boys could tell that the blond fighting with himself not to fidget under the other's gaze. They knew that it was hard when it seemed like the elder was peering right down to the very core, into the very secrets of his soul. They had to face the same thing every time they pulled a prank on someone in the village. Being faced with countless pranks for more than a hundred years could get tiring.

After what seemed like ages, Akagappa turned away. "Now, I'm assuming that you must be the Sun?" He asked, turning to Reborn now.

The hitman made no sound, but a frown pulled at his lips and he tugged down at his fedora to hide it. There were hisses coming from the others, and the tone was clearly hostile. The boys knew instinctively that Reborn had chosen the wrong move to do that with this bunch here.

When the din showed no clear sign of settling down, Akagappa waved his hand at the room and the room was instantly hushed. After a sigh, he spoke. "It is clear that you do not seem comfortable with us. Well, it is not a surprise. We have never favored the Sun during all our time here in this village."

Reborn's head snapped up, an unspoken question in his eyes. His eyes narrowed as he quickly tried to find the hidden meaning of the sentence. Didn't like the Sun? He was perfectly aware he had not done anything bad enough to be disliked so far in his trip to this strange mountain. Did he meet someone else who had the Dying Will Flames of the Sun before? It was possible, but highly unlikely as no one had ever told about this location. Or if they had, they had decided to keep this place secret and never told it to any of their superiors. Either way, it wasn't working in Reborn's favor at this moment.

"And what's wrong with the sun? It's bright and cheery, bringing bright sunlight into your life!" Reborn said, trying to act like a baby. He ignored the choked cough coming from the blond next to him. Somehow, Tsuna felt the same sentiment as Colonello.

There were some titters from different people in the crowd, which everyone noticed. Tsuna and Rikuo weren't quite sure about why they didn't seem to like the Sun too much. They understood a little about why yōkai preferred the night, but they didn't know they didn't like the sunlight.

"Ne, Rikuo, do yōkai have a weakness towards sunlight or something? Like those vampires things I've heard about?" Tsuna whispered, nudging Rikuo to get his attention.

"Vampires? Where'd you hear that from?" Rikuo asked, "No way. Yōkai are way better than vampires. Have you ever heard of a yōkai being killed by _garlic_? It's a stupid idea."

Tsuna didn't look so sure. "I suppose… But humans don't like them much. Like yōkai."

This time, Rikuo looked angry. "What're you trying to say? We made a promise, right? To protect both the yōkai and human world! Are you saying you don't want to protect yōkai anymore?"

Hastily, Tsuna tried to back up. "N-No! Not like that! I just mean…" He took a deep breath, looking crestfallen. "All the yōkai we've met… They aren't bad. They all seem so nice. But everyone from school… Say they're bad guys and monsters. How do you protect someone who hates you so much?"

Rikuo sighed, knowing it wouldn't be any use sticking around anymore with Tsuna like this. "Come on, let's go. I don't think we'll find out anything else from them."

* * *

><p>"It seems like the two troublemakers have left." Akagappa smiled around his cup, glancing at the ceiling somewhere. "They're difficult to deal with at times, but their hearts are in the right place."<p>

Both Arcobaleno knew whom he was talking about. They had noticed Rikuo and Tsuna hiding in the rafters since they had arrived, and had been closely eavesdropping on the whole conversation. It didn't matter too much, as it wasn't likely that they would be willing to spill their secrets to whoever would listen. And from what Akagappa said, they didn't stay close with humans anyways. But still, they didn't feel entirely comfortable with a pair of boys knowing information they really shouldn't. Children loved to tell things to others who will listen, and it was hard to say if all of the people in the village didn't go out of the mountain.

"There's something I wanted to ask you about…" Reborn started, but was interrupted by Akagappa.

"A boy called Sawada Tsunayoshi, correct? Yes, I have already been told about why you are here." The large yōkai said, leaning back. "Everyone in this village has been here for a long time. And none of them are human, if that is what this Tsunayoshi is. What makes you think he is here?"

This time, Colonello shot Reborn a look before he could speak further. The attribute of the Rain may be able to tranquilize others, but it could only do so much when faced with such aggravation, and Reborn had clearly pushed that point. "We had heard from our sources that his mother had sent him here, for safety, kora. We had made sure to check the information, and we're sure that he is here. Seeing as how far your village territory is, I doubt that there is another village in this entire mountain, kora."

"But who are you to care about a boy? I doubt that he is related to you, and he is a simple human child, is he not? Why is his safety such a priority for you?" Akagappa asked, watching them carefully. "There's no reason for you to come all the way over here."

"He may be a human boy, but he is important to his family. We received a special request from his father to look after the boy, kora." The blond said, careful to reveal nothing more.

There were angry mutters amongst the beings, many of them being, from what the Arcobaleno could tell, were about a 'father.' It was hard to tell what exactly they were saying, as there were many overlapping conversations.

"If that's the case, then shouldn't you be looking out looking for him now? I'm sure that you've been searching here for the boy. He's not here, so you should be leaving." Akagappa advised, making motions to get up.

* * *

><p>The two Arcobaleno stood in the doorway of the hall, watching the crowd disperse around them like a river. Though it was obvious that they were keeping an eye on each other, that was what they were, in fact, doing. There was strong distrust for the other in every single one of them, with reasons being known and unknown to both of them. Soon, the crowd was gone, off to do their daily work around the village. It was almost as though the pair hadn't even come to the village at all from the way they were acting.<p>

"What're we gonna do?" Colonello asked. "Tsunayoshi doesn't seem to be here, and I doubt that they'd be able to hide him so well here."

Reborn frowned as he thought, examining the village around them carefully. "My intuition tells me that Tsunayoshi is here, but I don't know where. Besides that, this village is very suspicious. A large group that knows about the Dying Will Flames? They don't seem to be like mafia or yakuza, so it's hard to tell how they know such a thing."

"It is suspicious." The blond agreed.

They were both silent. There was the sound of idle chatter floating in the air, as well as the soothing sound of nature. It was a beautiful thing, and a rare sight for the two involved in such a dark and bloody world. It was truly soothing to be in such an environment.

"There's something up in this village, and I'm going to find out what. This village is far too peaceful, yet almost everyone in this village seems to be training for war or something. Each village is in peak condition; even better than most athletes!" Reborn said.

The blond nodded at that. "I agree, kora. But I doubt they'll allow us to stay here. How would we be able to investigate without them finding out, kora?"

"What is this?" Reborn smirked at the blond, crossing his arms in front of him. "My rival can't even camouflage? What an idiot pupil Lal has."

"What was that, kora?!" Colonello growled, butting heads with the hitman. "I've trained for it for years! What have you been doing?! Running around like a little mouse, kora?!"

There were sparks in the air around them as they stared intently at each other, nearly grinding their teeth together. They would've, but it'd almost be like admitting defeat to the other in their own way. Both were too proud to do such a thing.

The hitman smirked.

The blond noticed the move, and narrowed his eyes in reply. What was the hitman planning now?

"Why don't we make a bet? To see who can find out the most about this village." Reborn said.

"The stakes, kora?" Colonello replied.

"I win, you owe me a year's supply of Italy's finest espresso." Reborn proposed, his smirk never wavering," You win, I'll get you that new prototype gun the scientists are creating right now."

From their long rivalry through the years, Colonello knew quite certainly that the hitman didn't lie without reason, and Reborn never lied when his espresso was involved.

"You're on, kora!"

* * *

><p>AN : I'm sorry for the long wait… It's been pretty much a month and a half from the last one, isn't it? December… Is a busy month for many, no? And the holidays always make me lazier than usual. And I can honestly say that I really didn't know how to write this chapter. It's the longest (10K), but I think it's the worst of everything I've written. No joke. Anyways, with this chapter written, I will be posting the final chapter for _A Sky Revealed by the Night_ tomorrow (hopefully, I'm almost done now) and get this all finished.

Nightblade1021 – Touhou? Which village might this be? Maybe all my studying is screwing with me, but I don't recall a place called Touhou. Are you thinking of Tōno? Because the Yukari from canon is from there, yes.

tsukuyomi . sakurachi – Well, it's not really that the Arcobaleno can't handle **Fear**. It's more of that they're not used to being near a more powerful being. I'm sure you remember that the Arcobaleno is supposed to consist of the world's seven strongest _humans_. They're strong enough to face many humans on their own without a scratch. This means that yōkai are not involved, and anyone reading NnM (why else would you be reading this?) has seen how powerful yōkai can be. I'm glad you enjoyed this story! Yeah, I kind of worried about this being too long. Sora seemed like an obvious name for Tsuna, but I don't have imagination for names, so I was glad someone at least suggested one. "Hien" would be a good name, but then, Tsuna doesn't _have_ red flames. If you've forgotten how I described Sora, he has orange flames, like his Dying Will Flames. I guess you could say it influenced the color of his yōkai fire. Yeah, I haven't been very clear on his yōkai appearances. I'm sorry. I'll try to make myself more clear on how they look later. If you would to suggest a name, I still don't have a name Tsuna's Nurarihyon part. You seem to know your Japanese, because mine is really terrible.

**This goes for everyone else too!** My name picking is terrible, so please help me out with Tsuna's Nurarihyon name if you can!


	21. Chapter 20

_6 weeks later..._

"Hey, Tsuna!" a very bright and cheery Takeshi called out, "Wait up!"

The brunet stopped and waited for the taller boy to catch up, before walking together at a leisurely pace. The long summer break had ended, regrettably, without the boys managing to do anything together, but they were happy to be together again. They chatted happily with each other about what they had done over the summer, though Tsuna was much more reluctant to reveal where he had gone for the six weeks and stammered a lot more when he tried to lie his way out of it.

As they got closer to the school, they noticed that there were a lot more other students on their way to school as well, and Tsuna wasn't quite oblivious enough to ignore all the whispers he could hear from them.

"Eh? Isn't that Muyō-Tsuna there with Yamamoto?"

"Really? That guy is still here? Mou, I thought he was finally gone."

"Yeah, especially since his house burned down at the beginning of break."

Tsuna's fists tightened, but he made no other motion that he had heard, keeping his gaze fixed on his feet. However, he looked up in surprised when Takeshi stepped closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "W-Wha…?"

Takeshi flashed him a grin. "We're friends, right? And I made a promise; that I would help you and prevent them from bullying you again."

Stunned, Tsuna's expression slowly melted into a relieved smile, thankful that he finally had someone at his side that wouldn't ignore him or belittle him while he was in school. Ignoring the shocked whispers of their peers, the two happily walked into the school, their bond together much stronger than before.

All through classes, there were mutters from their classmates about the new relationship between Takeshi and Tsuna, and they all wondered what and when it had happened. The teacher hadn't scolded them for it, since he was also stunned at this new development.

Once lunch time came around, Takeshi excused himself from the group of people that usually was with him during lunch, and instead went to eat with Tsuna.

"But why?" Many of them asked, not knowing what was going on at all. "It's Muyō-Tsuna, you never talked to him before!"

"Why?" Takeshi asked, scratching the back of his head. "That's because we're friends. And friends eat together, so that's what I'm doing."

Everyone watched with bewildered expressions as Takeshi plopped down in a chair next to the brunet and started eating his rice like there was nothing wrong. Even Tsuna was staring at him with his mouth open, not familiar with having someone willing to be his friend like Takeshi.

After a few minutes, Takeshi finally noticed that Tsuna wasn't eating and gestured at the unopened boxed lunch. "Aren't you going to eat? You said you didn't get a chance to eat this morning." He mumbled around a mouthful of food.

As if on cue, Tsuna's stomach gave off a loud grumble, much to the brunet's embarrassment. Several of the other children snickered at that, and left them to their own devices. After his blush died down a little, Tsuna picked up his chopsticks and started to eat his rice.

Feeling as though it was much too quiet, Takeshi decided to start off the conversation. "Ne, don't you think we should have something that goes along with rice?" He asked with a smile.

"W-What?" Tsuna returned, startled out of his thoughts. "Oh, er, yeah. I-I guess it _is_ kind of plain."

"No, that's not what I meant." Takeshi said, shaking his head. "I was talking about the main dish. They usually give us tempura or gyoza, but you know what? They should give us sushi!"

Tsuna sent him a questioning look. "Why? Is sushi your favourite food?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, but that's not the only reason." Takeshi replied, his grin growing even wider, if it was even possible. "My dad owns a sushi restaurant, and he makes the best sushi around! You remember, right?"

For a moment, the hanyō had to stop and think about it. With all the training he had done with Rikuo over in Tōno over the six weeks, his memory was a little hazy on his last few days in Nanimori. Not only that, he had only been to Takeshi's house for a few hours. It wasn't unknown that his memory wasn't as great as other people. "Sorry, it must have slipped my mind," Tsuna said awkwardly, taking a bite of his rice. "It was a long time ago, and my trip over the break was… tiring."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Takeshi laughed, but then his expression turned thoughtful. "Actually, you still haven't told me too much about what you did over the summer. You said you went to a family friends', right?"

Sweat started beading Tsuna's brow as he dodged eye contact once the topic was brought up. "Y-Yeah," he said, "s-something like that."

"And you also look like you got some muscles in those arms of yours!" Takeshi laughed, pointing at the firm bicep on Tsuna's formerly thin arms. "Before, they looked as much as twigs! Now… Well, they're still like twigs, but they look like strong twigs!"

Tsuna laughed along with him, not quite knowing whether to take it as a compliment or not. Of course, Itaku's training had made him more fit than before, but he didn't manage to advance as far as Rikuo. Still, he was willing to admit that he would at least be able to get a more passing mark when it came to physical education, and maybe he would even be picked on team sports before he was the last person.

"What's your secret?" Takeshi asked, with utter seriousness in his smiling eyes.

The smaller boy looked at him with a confused stare. "S-Secret? What do you mean a secret?" He asked, not know what he was talking about at all.

"You know, how you managed to get stronger in six weeks over the break! Not a lot of kids our age get strong!" Takeshi grinned at him.

"But there's no secret, and you're already strong too. You're the ace of the baseball team, aren't you?" Tsuna asked.

The raven haired boy gave a smile that had sparkles in his eyes, and Tsuna somehow _knew_ that he was going to go off on a rant about his dream and everything. Tsuna really didn't mind though, it would keep Takeshi away from asking about his summer, though the baseball loving boy would be persistent enough to keep asking about it until he got answers.

* * *

><p>After fifteen minutes had passed, the bell had rung, signalling the end of lunch. Tsuna, having had finished his lunch in time, put the garbage in the trash, with Takeshi still talking about his beloved baseball.<p>

"Oi, Yamamoto!" Someone called. "Hurry up and finish your lunch, the teacher will be here soon!"

That seemed to snap him out of it, and he hurriedly scoffed down his rice and gyozas and guzzled down as much of his milk as he could before throwing them away. Tsuna gave him a worried look, wondering if maybe he ate it all a bit _too_ fast. Tsuna had done that on more than one occasion when bullies were after his lunch and he ate it all before they found him. It had hurt when they found him and discovered he ate all the food, but the stomach cramps that came long after had left him curled up in pain all night.

Sure enough, Takeshi started looking pale and groaning in pain as he leaned his face onto the cool desk. People around him were giving him worried glances, but none made any motion to help him. The teacher was giving him a blank stare as though it would miraculously cure him, but turned back to the bored when it did nothing but made Takeshi groan even louder.

It finally got to the point where all they could hear was Takeshi's stomach protesting against the amount of food it had to digest, and Takeshi's groaning as he turned while he slept. The teacher sighed and put down the chalk, knowing the noise would be too distracting for a bunch of full eight year olds to really care about what they were supposed to be learning about. "All right, I need one of you to go and take Yamamoto down to the infirmary." He drawled.

He wasn't too surprised when there weren't too many volunteers. Many of the girls were too weak to carry Takeshi's taller frame down the hallway to the infirmary on the other side of the school, and many of the boys were too lazy or too distracted to pay any attention to what he was saying. However, he noticed there was one student that was paying attention while casting many apprehensive glances over at Takeshi.

"Sawada," he called out, feeling somewhat satisfied when he saw the brunet jump at the sound of his name. Even after all these years, he was still way too distracted. "Take Yamamoto-kun down to the infirmary."

Tsuna could feel the blood drain from his face as some of the boys snickered at his fate. Sure, he had gotten stronger during the break, but there was no way he would be able to carry Takeshi all the way over to the infirmary within half an hour! And there was always Kyoya still roaming the halls, watching for any students that had decided to skip classes and go home. Not that they would with the bloodthirsty child at school, but Kyoya wasn't going to take that chance.

"S-Sensei! Can't some else do it? I, uh, I don't think I can do it." He said, his voice growing quieter at the end when the snickers started turning into not so subtle chuckles.

The teacher had already turned back to the board, picking the chalk back up again. "Take as much time as you need. Just bring him down to the infirmary, got it?"

"Y-Yes..." Tsuna muttered miserably, and slowly picked himself up from his seat over to where Takeshi was sitting on the other side of the room close to the windows. It wasn't the fact that he didn't want to take his friend to the infirmary, but he wasn't sure he could carry him without dropping him somewhere. With his luck, he might drop him on his head somewhere dangerous like the edge of a door.

After much grunting and panting, Tsuna had managed to half drag; half carry Takeshi over to the door. After closing the door behind them and shifting Takeshi to a more comfortable position on his back, he looked down the hallway in the direction of the infirmary. "Did the hallway always look this long?" He muttered to himself.

With several much needed breaks down the hall, Tsuna finally made it to the corner while sweating enough to drench his uniform. "Ugh, this feels like training with Itaku all over again. At least it was cold over in Tōno…" he sighed, "I'll probably be sweating more than enough half way there."

He was so concentrated on his thoughts and holding on to Takeshi that he missed the loud yell of 'EXTREEEMMME!' coming from around the corner. Hence, the reason why they both collided with one another with the other person's fist flying into Tsuna's face and knocking him several feet away while Takeshi plopped to the floor where Tsuna had been standing.

"HM? What EXTREMELY is this?! Kid, are you EXTREMELY okay?" The white haired boy asked with a loud voice.

"Y-Yeah, somehow." Tsuna groaned, and got up from his twisted position that he had landed in. He gingerly touched the side of his cheek and winced. "Ugh, this is going to bruise later… Mama's going to worry…" He moaned.

"WHAT EXTREMELY WAS THAT? I could EXTREMELY not EXTREMELY hear you!" The boy boomed, moving closer to Tsuna.

"Agh! Please don't step on him!" Tsuna said hurriedly before the other could step on the unconscious raven. He hurried over to Takeshi's side and checked him over before giving a sigh of relief. "Phew, at least he managed to be ok. Wish I could say the same about myself."

"I am the EXTREME Sasagawa Ryōhei, class 1-B! What is your EXTREME name?" The boy, Ryōhei asked them.

Tsuna grimaced slightly at the volume but decided to endure it. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, and this is Yamamoto Takeshi. We're both in class 2-C." He greeted, trying to heave Takeshi back onto his back.

"2-C? Are you EXTREMELY in my EXTREME little sister's EXTREME class?" Ryōhei asked, his excitement causing his voice to grow louder.

"Sister? Who's your sister?" Tsuna asked rather distractedly, concentrating more on getting Takeshi onto the uninjured side of his body.

"The EXTREME Sasagawa Kyoko!" Ryōhei roared out, causing several teachers to stick their heads out their doors and scold him for being loud again.

For the brunet, it was more of the words than the volume that nearly made him drop Takeshi again. "K-Kyoko-chan?! You're Kyoko-chan's big brother?!" He stammered, completely surprised at how different he was.

"That's EXTREMELY right! If you EXTREMELY need anything, just give me an EXTREME shout!" He said, turning to leave again.

"Ah, wait a minute!" Tsuna rushed out, hoping he wouldn't run off too quickly. "Actually, could you help me with something?"

Jogging on the spot, the older boy turned to look at Tsuna from over his shoulder. "Yes? What do you EXTREMELY need EXTREME help with?"

Tsuna gestured over to Takeshi still slumped over his shoulder, though he was quickly falling off again. "Well, I'm supposed to be taking Yamamoto-san to the nurse's office, but you see… I'm having a little… trouble." He started. "Could you maybe… help me out?"

"Sure! That would be an EXTREME workout!" Ryōhei roared excitedly and easily picked up the unconscious boy and slung him across his back before dashing off at top speed in the direction opposite of the nurse's office.

"W-Wait! That's not the right way! Sempai!"

Ryōhei keep on dashing all over the school yelling for the school nurse, but had been running so fast that no one could tell him he was going in the wrong direction. People had been amused to see Tsuna trying to catch up with the older boy, though he was still obviously much more unfit that the boxing child was.

It wasn't until he had passed by Tsuna's class that Kyoko had stood firmly in front of him and finally made him stop.

"Kyoko!" Ryōhei had greeted, "It is EXTREMELY nice to see the EXTREME you! But I EXTREMELY have to find the EXTREME nurse's office!"

"Geeze, Nii-san, you're causing so much trouble for the school." Kyoko huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "The nurse's office is the other way."

"Oh, it is? I EXTREMELY forgot!" The older sibling laughed, making people wonder how it was he managed to make it to this grade without failing a subject.

"S-Sempai! W-Wait for… me…!" A more than slightly out of breath brunet finally came into view, and Tsuna slumped to the floor panting heavily.

"Ah, Boy! You managed to EXTREMELY keep up! That is EXTREME! Let's EXTREMELY run to the EXTREME nurse's office EXTREMELY now!" Ryōhei shouted and ran off before he could reply, making Tsuna sigh in exasperation. "What does he have to run so much?" He muttered.

A small voice behind him caught his attention. "Sorry, Sawada-kun."

Tsuna immediately whirled around to see Kyoko looking at him rather apologetically. "K-K-Kyoko-chan! Uh, no! It's no big deal! It's, uh, really fun to exercise and, uh, IhavetogosoI'llseeyoulater!" He stammered out and immediately started scrambling after the overexcited boy who had already turned the corner, no doubt in the wrong direction once more.

After finally an hour, Ryōhei had stumbled upon the nurse's office by chance, though there was no one inside despite the whole school apparently knowing about Ryōhei's trip around the school. The older boy had almost thrown Takeshi onto an empty bed and declared, "That was an EXTREME training! Boy, we should EXTREMELY train together EXTREMELY soon!"

"My name is Tsuna," the tired brunet muttered, not really caring too much at the moment. "and I don't know about that 'again' thing."

"Why EXTREMELY not?" Ryōhei replied, sounding honestly confused why he would refuse. Of course the hanyō seemed a little weaker than even his sister, but he's a boy, and boys should always be EXTREME! "Hey, what EXTREMELY happened to your EXTREME eye?" He suddenly asked, moving closer to examine Tsuna's face more closely.

Tsuna refrained from saying that it was Ryōhei's fault he was probably going to go home with a black eye today, and instead said, "Oh, this? I, uh, ran into the, um, wall…?" He bit his lip nervously and squirmed around a little under the other's scrutiny.

"That must EXTREMELY hurt! Your mother would be EXTREMELY worried too! I will EXTREMELY go and EXTREMELY find the EXTERME nurse! So stay EXTREMELY put!" Ryōhei called back and he dashed out the door off to somewhere unknown.

"I hope he doesn't cause too much trouble…" Tsuna muttered before taking a seat next to Takeshi. The boy's stomach had quieted, though there were a few protesting grumbles still coming from his stomach. There wasn't any noticeable bruises on his face, which Tsuna was thankful for. He still wasn't great at lying, and Takeshi would notice if he did. "Where is Hanayome when someone is _actually_ ill?"

**Probably drinking somewhere, like that other stupid part of us.** Came the voice that Tsuna had become all too familiar with by now.

'G'morning, Sora. ' Tsuna greeted, 'You're up early. '

Sora scoffed. **I've been here the whole time, just like that ****Ishou****. You're just too Muyō too see it.**

_**Oi, oi, that's not something you should be saying. After all, you screamed like a— **_Ishou was interrupted by a flare of heat shooting by his head, burning a few strands of hair from his head.

**If you want to be able to drink sake later, you'd better keep your mouth shut.** Sora growled, though his cheeks were flushed red.

'Guys, please. Could you not so early in the morning? I'm injured too, you know.' Tsuna butted in before they could go off on another argument. He could feel a migraine coming on; he was just glad there was no other pair of people who hit it off worse than those two.

_**Tired? Let me take over, then. I want to go and try out those new skills we learned in Tōno!**_Ishou asked eagerly, ignoring the fact that his fiery counterpart was trying to burn his face off with that abnormally hot flame of his. When Sora had heard his request, however, the flame burst even bigger and Ishou swore his face was starting to melt. **No way, it's my turn! We made an agreement; I get the day, you get the night, and our human side gets whatever's in between!**

"What?! When and where was I when this was decided?!" Tsuna exclaimed, feeling rather left out. It wasn't fair, this was the human world! As a human himself, he should be able to stay out here and make human friends!

A groan alerted all three of them, and they all turned to see Takeshi starting to stir.

**Good going, now you woke him up!** Sora snarled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. **Can't even keep his thoughts to himself, definitely worth the Muyō title.**

Tsuna sighed, covering his face with his palms. 'Why am I the only one who has to deal with something like this?'

_**I think we'd get along just fine, it's just that glowing matchstick that's a making things difficult. **_The long haired yōkai huffed, jerking a thumb over in the other's direction.

"Tsuna…?" Takeshi groaned, his face scrunching up slightly in pain. "Where… Am I in the infirmary? Wow, that doesn't happen too often."

"Yeah, I think it's just because you ate your lunch too fast." Tsuna chuckled, giving his friend a wry smile. "Are you okay now?"

Takeshi looked down at his stomach, then gave Tsuna a smile. "Yeah, I think that rest was all I needed, although…"

"Although…?" Tsuna prompted, not knowing what Takeshi was looking so puzzled about.

The taller boy reached over to run the back of his head, running his fingers through his hair. "It feels like I got hit by a few baseballs on my head. I don't remember play baseball today, though." Takeshi laughed, "Maybe I was dreaming it so hard, that I actually felt it!"

None of the three knew what to say to that, though Sorabi declared, **Geeze, this guy's more Muyō than Muyō here!**

'Hey!' Tsuna protested, 'he's my friend, which means he's your friend too! You'll probably meet him in the future, so you should be nice to him! At least treat him better than how you treat me!'

**No way am I gonna be friends with someone like that! There are those… **_**things**_** that follow him! **Sorabi hissed, making wide gestures. Tsuna wasn't quite sure what he was talking about.

From his seat on the floor by Takeshi's bed, Ishou drawled, _**Those '**_**things**_**' are called girls, and they're also our classmates too. Really, it makes me wonder what happened to result in you.**_

Tsuna decided that when their bickering like a old married couple started (**WE ARE NOT A MARRIED COUPLE, DAMMIT! DON'T EVEN GO THERE!**),it would be best to ignore them. "Um, do you need anything? Like water, or maybe some food…?" He started, but winced at the thought of food. Wasn't that the reason why he was here in the first place?

"Well, with all that rice and stuff, I didn't get to drinking my milk." Takeshi laughed, "Do you think they still have more somewhere?"

At the thought of doing something helpful for his friend, Tsuna sprang up. "Of course! I'll go ask for some! Wait right here, I'll be right back!" He said before rushing out the door. Takeshi was left blinking at the door in surprise with his smile frozen in place at the brunet's surprising speed. "Haha, I wonder how Tsuna does so bad in gym like that?"

* * *

><p>"Milk… milk… where would they have milk?" Tsuna muttered to himself as he walked down the hallway. Although he had offered to get some for Takeshi, he had no idea where the school would have it. It didn't quite occur to him that maybe a room with a fridge would have a box of milk.<p>

"Oi, Tsuna!" A voice hissed from a window. "What are you doing here?"

Tsuna looked up in surprise, but it quickly melted into a smile when he saw who it was there. "Kioku! What are you doing here? I thought you were helping Mama!"

At that, the bird yōkai winced and looked around as if checking for anyone listening nearby. "Well, er, I'm on a break right now. Anyways, that's not important! What are you doing out of class?"

"Well, Yamamoto-san got sick, so I'm looking for some milk!" Tsuna beamed, giving a wide smile, but then turned crestfallen. "But… I don't know where to find any milk."

"Milk, huh? Well…" Kioku hesitated, not really sure if it would be a good idea to tell him. It wasn't because the milk was hard to get, it was just because Tsuna had the remarkable ability to cause an accident as a human. A simple task of fetching milk could result in the school being burnt down by a highly toxic acid that shouldn't even be in Nanimori, but Tsuna could somehow manage to do it. "Uh, they don't have milk here today. They ran out."

Kioku's heart yearned for the boy when he made an almost teary expression, and his bottom lip wiggled dangerously. The yōkai was very glad at that moment that Tsuna wasn't too alike to his mother. At the age Tsuna was at, Nana had mastered the use of the 'kicked puppy' expression, and managed to get all the yōkai, with the exception of her family, wrapped around her fiery little finger. "D-Don't make that face! Um, why don't you take your friend home? I'll tell the school you've gone home for today. I'll take care of your things too, so you can stay with the kid today."

"R-Really? Mama will let me? She told me always to let her know if I go somewhere…" Tsuna sniffled, though his expression was hopeful.

"Yeah, yeah! Just get going, okay?" Kioku huffed before disappearing in a flurry of colorful feathers.

**Wow, you have got that puppy dog look mastered. Think I can do it?** Sora whistled, looking rather impressed. **Well, it's a good defense for him, in any case.**

'Well, excuse me.' Tsuna pouted, 'I'm the only one that doesn't have any cool moves like you guys. I need a way to protect myself.'

_**Besides, that look would look like those dead fishes that we see when Mama brings us to the store. You know, that really weird one that looks like it has a face?**_ The lax yōkai didn't even look fazed as a bright flaming ball flew right through his head, not really caring that he almost got burned to crisp. _**Well, I think he is the only one that can do that kind of face. Good enough for him, I guess.**_

**Anyways, better get that Yamamoto guy home. Someone's going to notice you're wandering around the halls, and no way am I gonna come and bust you out. **The fiery yōkai growled out before disappearing in a flurry of bright orange flames. Likewise, Ishou disappeared in a blink of an eye with a knowing smirk into somewhere behind Tsuna.

"Tsuna?"

The brunet jumped before turning around quickly, with his heart thumping loudly in his chest. "Y-Yamamoto-san! What're you doing up? You should be resting!" He fussed, rushing over to make sure he was alright. The baseball loving boy was still pale, but there was more color on his face, and he didn't look like he was going to hurl his lunch up anymore.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it." Takeshi said, an amused smile on his face, "but who were you talking to?"

At those words, Tsuna froze in place. "T-Talking? W-what are you talking about? I wasn't talking to anyone!" He said, his voice oddly high pitched and his eyes were roaming everywhere but at his friend.

"Tsuna," Takeshi said suddenly, all traces of a smile gone from his face and body. "is something going on? If there's something wrong, you know that you can tell me. We're friends, right?"

The brunet stared down at his feet, watching them shuffled together. "There's really nothing wrong, just… talking to myself. That's all!" He said, looking up at Takeshi in the eye.

Takeshi looked at him skeptically. "Talking to yourself? I've never seen you do that before. I thought you were talking to a ghost or something, haha!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Tsuna replied, relieved to find an excuse. "There was a ghost that got lost here, and wanted directions to the shrine! So I was talking to him about that, that's what you heard!"

"Whoa, that's awesome! What did he look like? Did he look like those guys with bed sheets over their heads? And did they go 'Booooo!' and stuff? Haha, that would be so cool! I wish I could see ghosts." Takeshi laughed, a large grin spreading across his face. "That's such a cool power!"

The hanyō laughed along awkwardly with the other, not even trying to deny the fact that he actually _could_ see spirits and the like around town. Well, at least it seemed Takeshi couldn't see them. "They don't seem to have any more milk, but I asked the nurse. She said that it would be best to bring you home."

"Oh, really? That'd be great! If I went back to class, I'm sure I would've fallen asleep like always, haha!" Takeshi grinned cheerily. They managed to leave the building without much incident, except for one _tiny_ little thing they forgot about.

"Herbivore, are you skipping school?"

Tsuna shrieked at the warning in the bloodthirsty boy's words, though Takeshi waved and gave Kyoya a friendly 'hello.' Standing right around the gates leading out of Nanimori Primary, was the feared guardian of the school, looking ready to beat any children who were planning on skipping school. None had ever managed to escape while he attended, and Kyoya wasn't planning to start now.

"N-No! You don't understand! Um, Yamamoto-san isn't feeling well, so I'm taking him home!" Tsuna said, hoping to deter the frightening boy from harming either of them. "So, well, c-could you let us off for today…? Please?"

"Yeah, I'm not feeling too well today. Oh, how about you come over? Then we can all play together!" Takeshi laughed, completely ignoring Tsuna's pleading looks. "We can all be good friends!"

Kyoya stalked forward, and Tsuna realized with horror that Kyoya's infamous tonfas were already in the boy's grip, and he knew that Kyoya wouldn't hesitate to beat them unconscious and drag them back to school. Thinking quickly, Tsuna grabbed a broken branch of a tree lying nearby, hoping it would be strong enough before holding it in front of him protectively. There was a hollow thud as the tonfa met wood, both of the black haired boys were surprised to see Tsuna taking defensive stance in front of the strongest boy in school.

Though the self-proclaimed carnivore was sure he could easily overpower the brunet, he was strangely pleased to see the light of defiance in his brown eyes. "Herbivore," he growled in warning, "I'll bite you to death for crowding."

"You can bite me all you want, but… I won't let you hurt Yamamoto-san." Tsuna replied evenly, a small heat burning within his chest. He let a little bit of the warmth travel around his body thinly, and steeled himself. He almost felt Itaku's comforting presence next to him, coaching him as he had in Tōno.

"_Never release your __**Fear**__. Doing so will end your life in an instant. Always attack swiftly, and don't leave room for a counterattack."_

Using the branch to block one of Kyoya's tonfas, Tsuna brought up a fist and went for a wide right hook. Something in Tsuna's subconscious told him to switch from a fist to a grab in front of him, and Itaku had always told him to trust his instincts. With the thought of protecting Takeshi strong in his mind, Tsuna opened his hand and managed to stop Kyoya's second tonfa before it reached him.

"Wow, Tsuna!" Takeshi whistled, obviously impressed. "You're much more better than you were before! I was right, you got a _lot_ stronger!"

"You'll have to do better than blocking me to make me reconsider you from a herbivore, herbivore." Kyoya said, carefully watching Tsuna's brown eyes to change color as it had the last time. And soon after the words left his lips, he saw it; the change that he had been waiting for. The flickering of red and orange behind the brunet's regular brown eyes that signaled a strange strength Kyoya was sure he didn't have before.

During the summer, Kyoya had exhausted every resource he had in order to find out more about this strange herbivore that had caught his interest after a long while. Even with the vast information network he held, he couldn't find out what he wanted about the one called 'Sawada Tsunayoshi.' He only had the basic information of Tsuna living in Nanimori with only his mother, with his father working overseas as a person who handled traffic at a construction site. There was a relative in the town of Ukiyoe in Tokyo, as well as traces of ancestry coming from Italy. He was a lonely child who was weak and constantly bullied, and always got the lowest mark in his class. He never attended any after school activities, nor did he leave his house for anything other than school. His house was burned down for unknown reasons before the summer, though it had strangely been rebuilt already.

But still, it had made Kyoya go on a rampage and bite to death anyone who had made the boy irritated in the slightest. None of that information told him about how he had managed to gain the strength to oppose him, or why his eyes changed colors when he fought! So, Kyoya decided the easiest way to find out would be to find the boy himself.

The boy had met his expectations, as he managed to block both of Kyoya's tonfas without leaving eye contact. Was he even aware that a flame blazed behind his irises? Well, today, Kyoya was going to find out the boy's full potential, and he would make sure he exhausted all of Tsuna's strength to find out.

Quickly retreating and ducking, Kyoya aimed to ram into Tsuna's exposed stomach with his tonfa. He didn't feel surprised at all when Tsuna was gone before the weapon even grazed him, pulling Takeshi back behind him as well. The brunet's eyes were narrowed, and he gave the impression of a small kitten bristling its fur against a large dog. Kyoya smirked; this might prove entertaining, especially since the brunet exposed his weakness very quickly.

Running forward once more, the attacking boy kept his face carefully blank to hide his true intentions, and aimed a swipe in front of Tsuna. As he expected, the boy jumped to the side, out of his way, and he immediately realized that he had just left Takeshi open to take a hit.

This time, Kyoya didn't hide his surprise when Tsuna abruptly appeared before him, and blocked the blow with his arm. He hadn't even seen him move, and Kyoya's battles senses were finely honed through the years. "Interesting…" he said, before stepping back to examine the strange boy before him. It was obvious that Tsuna was tiring, but his battle stance was firm and hardly had any openings, which was surprising considering how much experience he seemed to have the last time they had encountered. "Herbivore, where did you learn to fight? It's against the school rules."

Tsuna blinked briefly in surprise before raising his chin up defiantly. "There's no reason for you to know. I'll be bitten to death either way." He replied, his voice strong and firm.

Kyoya grinned in a way that would normally have sent a shiver down Tsuna's spine. He was instantly in front of Tsuna, aiming blows as quickly as possible, with Tsuna parrying or dodging them at the same pace. He was partially dodging them on instinct, but he was mostly dodging them from his own experience telling him where to place his next move. When Tsuna was a sufficient distance away from Takeshi, Kyoya changed tactics and started attacking Takeshi, much to the other's bewilderment. With a cry of alarm, Takeshi raised his arms as he fell backwards, too unsteady and weak to make any attempt to dodge.

"Why are you attacking Yamamoto-san? I'm the one you're fighting." Takeshi heard, and opened his eyes to see Tsuna blocking the blow in front of him. "Awesome, Tsuna! You're the same as Hibari is, haha!"

Tsuna could instantly tell that was the wrong thing to say, as Kyoya's grip on the tonfas tightened and the brunet was instantly faced with a barrage of attacks from the other. From the calculated and aimed attacks they had now become wild random attacks of ferocious strength and blinding speed, and Tsuna could do nothing as he tried to block the blows from reaching vitals parts of his body or Takeshi.

But with his ebbing strength, he knew that he wouldn't be able to defeat him with defense, and he couldn't risk letting Sora or Ishou taking over and blowing their hard-kept secret. If he wanted to make it, then he would have to go on the offense!

Unfortunately, the hanyō didn't have a weapon on him, nor any way of calling for help. Yōkai around town were ordered to stay away from the school, and all of Nana's Hyakki Yakō was off watching over the town. He was completely on his own, since Takeshi was still sick and wouldn't be able to help.

"Yamamoto-san." Tsuna said, keeping his eyes firmly on Kyoya still. "You need to get out of here. I can't protect you, and I don't want you to get hurt. I'll… I'll manage somehow."

Takeshi looked surprised, but he gave a confident grin as he stood up. "No way, I told you before, right? We're friends! I promised that I'd support you, and I'm not going to break it now! If I'm going to fight Hibari, then I'll help you out!"

Though the brunet was shocked at the declaration, he was quickly brought back by Kyoya's relentless attacks on him. "All right. Can you distract him for a while?" He said breathlessly, gritting his teeth as the blows started landing heavier and he could start to feel the toll on his fragile body.

"I'll do my best!" Takeshi replied, and picked up a small stone. It wouldn't be enough to hurt the advancing boy, but he would distract him the best he could! After all, that was the best he could do for Tsuna at the moment. "Oi, Hibari!" He hollered, throwing the stone as hard as he could at him.

Kyoya deflected it with one tonfa without looking, though he had stopped his assault to glare at the interfering herbivore. Without a word, he started his attack on him, growling, "Interfering herbivores will be bitten to death."

"Haha, I'm not an herbivore, though! I eat a lot of meat at home." Takeshi grinned as he used his arms to shield himself. He was sure that he would have bruises from this later, but he trusted Tsuna to do something.

With Kyoya's attention elsewhere, he could concentrate on sending the heat further. Usually, it wasn't strong enough to make a difference. But now, he had a reason to need the heat. He could see Takeshi's pained expression as he received the blows, and it tore at his heart to see it. "If only I was stronger," he said to himself, "I could protect him. No, I SHOULD protect him. He trusts me, and I will save him, even if I die!"

With his heart set firm in his goal, his eyes blazed a dark orange color and there was thin coat of orange on his forehead and hands. He looked at his hands in wonder, surprised that something had happened. It felt pleasantly warm against his skin, though the glow seemed to dance off his skin like fire. It wasn't the same as Sora's fire, however, as it had a more gentle feel to it. He was brought out of his thoughts when Takeshi gave a yell of pain, as Kyoya had finally gotten through and was now beating Takeshi. With a firm determination, Tsuna leapt forward, using every bit of energy left in him to get to Takeshi.

Kyoya seemed to have sensed his approach, as he whirled around to hit Tsuna squarely on the head with the tonfa. The brunet easily caught it, and Kyoya got a clear view of Tsuna's now orange colored eyes the flickering flame from his forehead. He could then feel the intense heat emanating from Tsuna's hands, and was surprised to see his tonfas melting from the direct contact. He immediately let go and retreated a small distance, observing the other carefully.

With the other retreating for now, Tsuna chanced a quick glance over at Takeshi. A quick glimpse at the taller boy revealed small red swells on the bits of skin he could see, more of them concentrated around his face. To his relief, there were no broken bones or other wounds that he could see, and Takeshi was still conscious if the pained grin and thumbs up was any indication.

"Herbivore, don't get distracted." Kyoya said a split second before he attacked, with Tsuna easily dodging the blow. With the flames coating parts of his body, it seemed to give him a heightened sense, as he felt as though Kyoya was moving slower than he had before. As the other was about to strike Tsuna with his last tonfa, the hanyō caught it in between his hands, watching it bend out of shape and render it unusable. "I never said that I was," was what Tsuna replied with before aiming a strike at Kyoya's chest with a fist.

Now Kyoya was on the defensive and Tsuna was on the offensive as he used both his hands and feet to force his opponent back. He could feel himself tiring quickly, and he had to end it fast before Kyoya found out another way to fight him. He put more energy into his attacks, not caring about the burning sensation he was starting to feel in his muscles, and only concentrated on driving away the threat before taking care of Takeshi.

On the other hand, Kyoya decided that they had fought long enough and retreated a fair distance. The herbivore had proven itself worthy of his attention, and was an opponent he would fight again another time, when he had better weapons. "Herbivore, who are you?" he called.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna replied, slightly out of breath now.

Kyoya narrowed his eyes and stared hard at Tsuna, but the brunet returned the glare evenly and said nothing. After a moment, Kyoya turned around and called behind his shoulder, "You herbivores are crowding. You may leave today, but do not expect a second time."

Once Kyoya was gone and Tsuna's instincts told him it was safe, he collapsed into the dirt with the fire extinguishing. "That was so scary," he muttered, feeling as though he had woken up from a dream. "I can't believe I survived an attack from Hibari."

"Yeah, I can't believe it either!" Takeshi called weakly with a chuckle. "You're much more amazing than you seem, Tsuna! Are you two acrobats or something?"

"Yamamoto-san… Acrobats don't resort to fighting…" Tsuna said, wondering how he was so oblivious to the fact that they were very close to ending up in the hospital. "You wouldn't have those bruises otherwise."

"Maa, I guess that's true… Oh, maybe warrior acrobats? Like those warrior monks I've heard of! That'd be really cool, don't you think?" Takeshi asked, his eyes wide and a wide grin on his face.

For a long while, Tsuna stared at Takeshi with a dumbstruck look. Then he gave a weak laugh and turned over. "Haha, there's no arguing with you, is there?"

"Nope, isn't it more fun that way? Haha!" The boy replied easily.

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere in Italy…<em>

A boy was passing restlessly in a room before a man dressed sharply in a suit. Though the child was obviously much younger and weaker than the other, anyone could easily tell who the superior power in the situation was.

"_What do you mean you can't find him?! It can't be that hard to find someone in Japan! Besides that, that entire mountain and the area around it is owned by our Famiglia, isn't it? A kid like that being able to easily wander in- there's no way!_" A boy yelled, slamming his hands onto the table in front of him. "_Look again!_"

"_We apologize, Master Gokudera, but we've checked several times,"_ the man sighed, knowing he was on the end of the proverbial exploding stick. "_and you are aware that I've done such a thing several times. We are sure; there is no such boy who lives on the mountain, or any towns close by._"

Hayato ground his teeth together before punching the desk and turning away. "_Fine!_" He barked, "_Leave immediately, then!"_

The man sighed and bowed deeply, before exiting the room.

* * *

><p><em>In another location in Italy…<em>

A large and lavish mansion set in a deceptively calm forest belonged to the infamous Bovino Famiglia. Though they weren't especially well-known amongst the other Famiglias for their strength or their brilliant minds like many others were, they _did_ have a weapon famous for technology no one else in the world had been able to create: The ten-year bazooka. There were many reasons that other Famiglias came up with as the reason to why the Bovinos would make such a thing. Was it to gain more knowledge of the future to come? Gain more strength from younger members when a fight was upon them?

Well, no matter what everyone else said, the Bovinos never stated their true reason for creating it. And they never would.

"_Gyahahahaha!_"

The infant's laughter rang throughout the mansion, and many of the servants serving in it were chasing around a baby wear a cow-print onesie.

"_My goodness, why is that boy such a pain?" _A maid panted, clearly exhausted from chasing the boy. It was amazing how a one year old could crawl so quickly around the house for three hours. It was quite endearing to the Famiglia, to them a sign of health, but the servants were quickly getting tired of it.

"_Oh, can't somebody get the bazooka and blast this kid again?!_" She moaned, the child's laughter ringing throughout the mansion.

* * *

><p><em>In an unknown location far from the mafia world…<em>

A figure stepped into a darkened room, going to one side before there was a swishing sound and brilliant sunshine fell into the room. The light revealed the room to belong to a young child, a male from how the room was decorated. In a bed in the corner of the room, a bundle moaned and wiggled around. The figure, his mother, smiled and went to sit on the side of the bed.

"_Come on, Adrea, you like to go to the fair, don't you? I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with your friends!" _The boy's mother crooned, combing her fingers lovingly through a young boy's hair. "_You should get ready soon, Ken called earlier. They'll be here soon."_

The woman gave a gentle kiss to the boy's temple before leaving the room. As the door clicked closed, the boy's eyes opened to reveal a mismatched pair of eyes colored red and blue, with a malicious smile crossing his face.

"_Of course, mother._"

As the boy sat up to look out the window, the sunlight cast a shadow behind him, splaying across the wall. Though the shadow wasn't particularly large itself, it appeared quite strange. It had nothing of the silhouette of the boy it supposedly belonged to, but spiky points sat upon the shadow's head, as well as wriggling appendages moving around the shadow's body.

* * *

><p>AN : The italicized words means that they're speaking in Italian here. It was closer to the bottom, so I decided to stick this down here. This chapter and the last are not nearly enough to make up for the month and a half of chapters I should've posted, so I'm sorry about that.

With this, 'The Sky Revealed by the Night' has finally been completed! Hurrah! I can honestly say that I never thought I would ever finish a piece of writing. I thank everyone for following and reviewing this story. I'm pretty sure that if no one paid attention to this story, it would've died out long time ago.

About the last few cuts(?), those are about the Guardians and what they're doing at this point in time. I'll go more into it in 'The Skies of Night and Day,' which will partly go over what was done during this four year period of time. What happened to Reborn and Colonello during their time in Tōno will come into play there as well.

If you couldn't tell, I chose the name 'Ishou' for Tsuna's Nurarihyon part. The reason behind this is I wanted to give each a name that was related to what they were. Sora is a fire yōkai, but he uses the same Sky Flames that Tsuna uses (their fighting styles are different, remember that). The meaning of 'Ishou' is 'vision' or 'a strange phenomenon.' That kind of name… doesn't it seem to fit those of the Nurarihyon species?

tsukuyomi . sakurachi – Thanks your ideas for names, but they were for the fire yōkai of Tsuna, no? As much as I appreciate you suggesting names, I'd rather not mix up names as much as possible. They're OCs, and its already confusing enough that there's two of them that make up Tsuna. And with all the other yōkai I stuck in here, well. I wouldn't be surprised if I wrote about one and stuck someone else's name into it instead. My mind just might do that to me.

Nightblade1021 – Ah, that makes sense then. No, I never heard of Touhou until you mentioned it. I'm trying to keep strictly to the NnM and KHR world. If Yukari actually _is_ from Touhou, that was the original author's, Hiroshi Shiibashi's, idea. But I doubt this is likely since the Yukari in NnM is a zashiki-warashi, a child-appearing yōkai that bestows luck upon occupants of a household. Not quite sure what kind of boundary powers the other Yukari has, but I don't think it's quite the same.


End file.
